Chennai Corporation to hold free skill development classes for women

CHENNAI: To financially empower women in the city, the Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to offer them training in various vocations free of cost. The city civic body has earmarked Rs 7.50 crore for providing fee-less training classes for women, including in tailoring and computer courses, among other skills.

A resolution in this regard was adopted at the monthly meeting of the Greater Chennai Corporation council on Wednesday. According to the resolution, funds would be allocated to run these courses free of cost with a vision to empower women and transform them into entrepreneurs. It added that the Corporation would allocate Rs 50 lakh to each of the 15 zones in the city.

Using this fund, special training classes would be held at each zone and women from the respective zone can enrol themselves in the classes free of cost.

According to the corporation, training would be given for tailoring, embroidery, computer (Tally), and a beautician course. The women who are interested in receiving training in any of these may enrol themselves in selected classes, said the GCC.

For tailoring and embroidery, 270 hours of training would be given to an individual, while the duration of the beautician course would be 240 hours. Similarly, the women who enrol in a computer course would receive 370 hours of training, the Corporation said.

Meanwhile, Chennai Mayor R Priya assured that steps would be taken to offer special classes in Corporation schools. Explaining the reason for this, she said children needs special care and attention, as low-income families are not able to look after the kids because both parents have to work to eke out a living for the family.

The Mayor also asked Corporation Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran to issue a circular stating that the councillors may utilise their funds to construct hospitals in their respective wards.