The Hindu 19.03.2014
Kudumbasree’s masons all set to enter construction industry
On successfully creating a pool of women engineers and supervisors in a largely male-dominated construction sector, the Kudumbasree Mission in the district is all set to expand its presence in the sector by training women in allied activities.
The mission is now focused on training skilled masons, plumbers and electricians. A 90-day training in masonry for the first batch of 30 women has been completed and the second batch of 25 women is set to complete training this month-end. Ten of those who completed training are undergoing internship while many among the rest are doing independent works.
As part of their practical training, Kudumbasree members constructed three houses at Panayikkulam near Aluva. The houses are pucca houses and could be sold by the agency concerned, a senior Kudumbasree official in the district told The Hindu .
An agency based in Ettumanoor was roped in to create the module of training and to execute it. The same agency has been entrusted with training plumbers and electricians.
The masons trained under the programme will be roped in for projects to be undertaken by the construction wing of Kudumbasree, thereby helping them gain more experience and get more works.
A pool of 37 engineers and supervisors trained by Kitco and split into three teams is now equipped to take up construction assignments.
The agreement for their first assignment, a project to construct houses for scheduled communities at Edakkattuvayal, is likely to be signed soon after the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April 10.
The training module for plumbers and electricians has already been prepared. Training will start only after the elections to avoid violation of the model code of conduct in force.
Applications are being sought from aspiring candidates through the neighbourhood Kudumbasree units. Attitude and aptitude for the job are paramount considerations. The Kudumbasree Mission is looking to train a batch of 20 plumbers and 20 electricians initially,
The Ernakulam branch of the mission was the first to initiate training for engineers, supervisors, masons, plumbers and electricians. Now, Wayanad and Palakkad units are planning to launch training programmes in masonry.
The district unit of the mission has concluded training for supervisors and engineers in the construction sector for the time being. The project was implemented with the aid of Hudco and it would be resumed only if someone offered assistance, the official said.