Mitraniketan

Magazine

By

-

June 1, 2009

Mitraniketan is a Gandhian based non profit organisation founded by K. Viswanathan in 1956 after his studies from Santiniketan and exposure to Folk high schools of Denmark. He visualised encouraging community based education with holistic development of people and society. Progress of society through the total development of individuals is the avowed mission of Mitraniketan. In today's world of transition, we must examine how we approach the concept of development and reorient our approach and methods in such a way as to put humaneness back into the equation. Our primary task in this re-orientation is the enablement of people; development will come about only when individuals as part of the family and community are of their own power in determining the circumstances of their own lives.

Mitraniketan houses a variety of development and rural higher education activities in its 65 acre campus located 25 km north east of Thiruvananthapuram city. It also houses a community of 500 members including children, youth, farmers, women, social workers, and visiting students and volunteers from India and abroad. The projects include a residential school for tribal children, people's college for rural youth, research centre for action research studies and teacher education, Rural Technology Centre for technology transfer and skill development, Farm Science Centre (KVK) for technology dissemination, and extension programmes for women empowerment, to mention some important ones.

The Mitraniketan People's College was established in 1996 with the technical collaboration of Association of the Folk High Schools in Denmark (FFD) and with the financial support of Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA). People's College is one of the innovative development education projects of Mitraniketan based on the ideas of Danish Folk High Schools and Indian Gurukula system of education along with necessary inputs considering the local needs. It follows the concept of education for life rather than education for degrees and diplomas. The difference between People's College and a Community College is that People's College follows residential form of education to promote informal learning and community living along with life and livelihood skill development.

The college aims to empower rural youth through well integrated liberal education which keeps a focus on need based curriculum. The content of the courses put an emphasis on the development of life and livelihood skills. This has a direct impact on leadership, communication, and income generating skills while also strengthening a solid knowledge base.

Facilitators of the college are trained in participatory teaching learning method, which helps to involve the heterogeneous group of participants in the training sessions. The students are given the opportunity to unfold their potential in a non formal environment, supporting their respective field of interest.

As far as the target group of Mitraniketan People's College is concerned it mainly concentrates on empowering the rural youth and women belonging to the disadvantaged sections of the society. Having one of the highest literacy rates in India, Kerala also has the highest percentage of educated but unemployed people in the country. While the urban and elite youth in the state have the opportunity and capacity to afford formal higher education, a large number of youth in remote parts and villages don't have access to appropriate education. Due to poverty, illiteracy of parents, and lack of information, many of these students become school and university dropouts. These rural youth living below the poverty line are one of the main target groups for People's College.

Similarly, rural women and housewives are another important group that People's College is trying to educate. Often these women have productive skills that have never been realised or utilised. Normally housewives in the village spend majority of their time cooking and rearing children and are not given the opportunity for education or skill training. People's College works to change some of these traditional routines, so that women can make choices for themselves. Potential can be developed through creating awareness, developing their functional capability, and organising them in Self Help Groups. Over the last five years, Mitraniketan People's College has trained approximately 500 housewives and organised them into 50 Self Help Groups in neighbouring villages. The organisation of women's groups has exposed them to the outside world, given them confidence, given them support and a voice. Now, these women are working to improve their skills and supplement the family income. Additionally, Peoples College welcomes the participation of small NGOs that are engaged in development and education activities. When working together, all participants develop a better understanding of techniques and training which strengthens and benefits the entire programme.

Technical/vocational training is an essential part of the People's College education programme as it helps students from the target group find employment within their villages. Since most students come from economically poor background, developing livelihood skills is one of their important aims for survival. People's College provides various vocational skill courses for the students to choose from, based on their preference and viability of employment in their respective villages. The following courses available at People's College, are identified based on the potential for generating income or self employment:

Automobile Electrical Computer
Agriculture Fruit Processing Tailoring
Carpentry Plumbing Metal Fabrication

These skills are readily employable in rural areas, and village communities need such service based jobs to reduce their dependency on urban technicians. People's College training concentrates more on practices; that is 'learning by doing' which helps youth to work with master craftsmen in the villages immediately after the training. Upon completion of the technical courses, students receive certification from the National Institute of Open Schooling. The students learning carpentry, plumbing, and tailoring pay less tuition fees as they also contribute to production and service on the Mitraniketan campus. The value of their service is considered in-return for the cost of training. This in fact becomes, 'earning while learning.'

Some of the trained youth remain for an additional year on Apprenticeship to gain more work experience and bring the self sustaining support Mitraniketan needs to operate. They are provided free boarding and lodging, and a stipend. This option has proved to be a practical living and working experience that reward both partners while continuing to offer a safe and stable environment for rural youth Mitraniketan operates on the concept of non-formal education, focusing on community based life and livelihood skills. The idea behind this form of education is that learning only becomes a significant part of our lives if we are actively involved and share responsibility for it. In order to realise this principle, the educational methods emphasise student participation, manual labour and democracy. There are no exams. Teaching is done in co-operation and on an equal footing between teachers and students.

The focus at Mitraniketan People's College is on the development of rural youth above the age of 18, irrespective of their educational background. The double objective is to combine general and vocational education that will enable students to improve their own lives, at the same time motivating them to work actively for development in their local community. The common goal at Mitraniketan, is to develop humanistic leaders, citizens, who as activists ensure the vitality and democratic nature of the village. This kind of leadership is the basic building block of Indian democracy as envisaged in the Constitution.
Innovative knowledge is necessary in today's changing world. Mitraniketan offers volunteer work opportunities to interested students, social workers and persons committed to development. Volunteer work in the fields of education, agriculture, women empowerment, health, development, appropriate technology and research are needed. Foreign connections help bridge the gap between countries and convey a global awareness that everyone benefits from. The uniqueness of a foreign, exchanged knowledge base brings about abundant opportunities for both volunteer educators and local citizens. Each year, a number of volunteers from India and abroad, work together to bring additional teaching, workshops, research, sports training, health care and directing of arts and theatre.
Staff and students at Mitraniketan embrace the opportunity to share cultures. As Mitraniketan is a residential campus, volunteers work, live, and enjoy recreation within the community, offering complete immersion to Indian culture and experience. Volunteers can engage in various activities throughout the week on campus and visit nearby attractions over the weekends as well. Giving the gift of time and information comes with rewards that can change a persons life and open doors to a new understanding of oneself and responsibility to society.
The founder K. Viswanathan believes that, 'we have a social responsibility to take care of the poor'. He demonstrates it by working for equal opportunity and improving the quality of lives starting within the Mitraniketan community and joining hands across the globe.

IGNOU Community Colleges

Article

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

June 1, 2009

The community college system as an alternative and supplementary form of education assumes significance in the context of efforts to make education, particularly the entrants into higher education and vocational education in our country, gainfully employable. Indira Gandhi National Open University has taken a big stride in this direction, with the launch of its Associate Degree Programme while framing the IGNOU Community Colleges.

Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India once said, “Education should inculcate a life-long habit of learning. And today, this is all the more necessary, because the corpus of knowledge is increasing at a tremendous pace.” Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), the institute established with the vision of the leader, just follows through the golden rule.

Recent Government of India efforts to enhance the Gross Enrollment Ratio in tertiary education has resulted in a number of instituitions, a thrust on vocationalisation, and increased use of technology. In order to have a diversified and multi-channel higher education framework, the experience of other countries shows that there is a need for an innovative educational alternative rooted in the community. A well tested success internationally has been the incorporation of Community Colleges as an integral part of the higher education system. The purpose of Community Colleges is to provide skill based, livelihood enhancing education and eligibility for employment to the disadvantaged and under-privileged like the urban poor, rural poor, and women. Providing appropriate skills development in collaboration with local industries thus leading to gainful employment is the major target of Community Colleges.

Another major contributon of Community Colleges has been to expand access to post secondary studies for millions of students who would otherwise not have an opportunity to participate. Even in countries like the US and Canada, where it started as peripheral to the mainstream higher education system, people’s perception have changed and the social importance of an Associate Degree through a formal mechanism has considerably increased. Approximately, 44% of all undergraduates in the US study in Community Colleges.

Looking into the size and complexity of needs among the Community Colleges, educational policies are being framed to set up a regulatory agency providing governance guidelines, rules, regulations, etc. Recognition of the courses from the universities, by granting appropriate credit transfer/equivalency in the credits is in the pipeline.
prof. V N Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU

“The government plans to open more ‘Community Colleges’ across the country with focus on skill development during the Eleventh Plan Period, with an aim to generate skilled manpower for the labour market. Such colleges, providing an open-access admission policy, would also fulfill the mandate of the National Skill Mission and bring hopes to drop-outs, besides realising dreams of those who wish to complete higher studies. They would have provisions for vertical mobility and service as a community-based institution of higher education.

IGNOU would act as a facilitating agency for such colleges. The varsity proposes to offer ‘Associate Degree’ programmes to these colleges with focus on skill development. On completion of the course, one can seek a lateral entry to the third year undergraduate programme in a regular college. One can even explore different subject areas before committing to a programme. The beneficiaries, would be school drop-outs, late entrants into higher education, and working people who find entry into the formal system rigid. The students would be allowed to pursue continuing education through all meaningful formats

to reach out to formal education by framing the Associate Degree programme. IGNOU Community Colleges: The 11th Plan Prescription As we need a focused agenda to address all concerns in skill education, the government initiated the process of reform by announcing the need and probable procedure for establishing the Community Colleges in the 11th Five Year Plan. The Plan document reads like- ‘Existing 190 community colleges (largely in southern states of India, some of which offer diploma courses) will be supported for capacity building, training cost (equipment, faculty development, stipend, etc, but not for civil works, nd other capital costs). Setting up additional 210 community and eastern parts of the country will be supported on placement based funding. Funding will be based on a MoU between Community Colleges, states and Ministry of Human Resources Development.’ The Plan document again identifies and emphasises the role of IGNOU taking a lead in this alternative mode of education for the unreached community. The 11th Five Year The Community College is seen now as an innovative educational alternative rooted in the community providing skill based, livelihoodenhancing education and eligibility for employment to the disadvantaged and under-privileged like the urban poor, rural poor, tribal poor, and women. Appropriate skills development leading to gainful employment in collaboration with the local industries and the community is the major target of the Community Colleges. The success achieved by the system encourages the strengthening and consolidation of the existing colleges along with the step-wise expansion of the sytem to all the states in the country. Lack of recognition has been a major problem by those who passed out from the Community Colleges. All over the world, particularly, in the US , this problem was there in the initial development stages of the Community Collges. This was solved Why Community Colleges in India Largest youth population Only 5% of Indian labour force in the age group of 20-24 have obtained vocational skills through formal means. (Industrialised countries 60-96%) Only 2.5 million vocational training seats are available, where as 12.8 million enter the labour market every year. Largest share of new jobs likely to come from the unorganised sector which employs upto 93% of the national workforce. •
• • Sam Pitroda Chairman, national knowledge commission How do you see the Community Colleges- a peoples’ movement or a parallel system? It is neither a people’s movement nor a parallel system of education. It is just a way of restructuring our education system, so that we provide all opportunities to large number of people with the ability to migrate. I see ommunity Colleges as instruments of mobility. What is India’s expectation from the ommunity College movement? From the Indian perspective, what should be the ingredients of such measures? This is a system, which is all flexible. People who want to get in the ngineering colleges, people who wish to do well in education, this comes as an opportunity for them. If you study in Community College, you can go back and even do a Ph D programme, hich eventually allows you not to stop in the journey of education. So this encourages a lateral obility in education. Basically, in our system of education, there are too many affiliated policies. We have evolved a system over a period of time, where we have a number of affiliated colleges. But this is just not workable. In this proces , we have lost the quality of a good university. Rather, from this, we can create separate samll community colleges, and samll universities. We can create structures that are manageable. In the past, everyone wanted to be affiliated to a best university, w ether they are capable or not. Politically too, they were allowed. But by that process, good univeristies end up having too any affiliated lleges. So with the Community College system, we are just trying to make separate affiliated olleges and institutions of focus, stability, and of quality with research orientation. National Knowledge Commission (NKC ) has recommended that entrepreneurial/self-employ ent skills be promoted among students, on and off campus. How do you see IGNOU ’s step towards aunching Associate Degree programme for Community Colleges? The entire prospect has been laid out clearly in the NKC recommendations. But then now some ody has to really pay attention to the implementation. Implementation is being done at ministry level and state evel as well. With such steps like IGNOU Community Colleges, I hope, it gets proper attention ow. But the need is to engage the Indian education community, the readers of Digital earning agazine to study the NKC recommendations, go to the depth, debate, research, and articulate them. I expect, the essence of Community College is well treated with the new rogramme of IGNOU . “Instruments of Mobility”

Dr. Kalyani Anbuchelvan, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Open University
The Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU ) is honoured to associate itself with the world’slargest Open University, the Indira Gandhi National Open University, on the CommunityCollege initiative. The Associate Degree programme through the community colleges is thebrain-child of Prof Pillai, who always has nurtured robust academic schemes for the poor andunder developed communities. Generations to come will remember IGNOU with gratitude forthis initiative, which will go a long way in strengthening, among others, the Indian literacy
level. My hearty wishes to Dr Latha Pillai, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU , the committed
executor of this programme! Tamil Nadu remains the pioneer in the Community College initiative. The initiative was well received by the bureaucracy to the extent that the IAS officers in those initial days have suggested to confer the status of Skill Development Centres to Community Colleges. The Government of India has also sanctioned INR 10 lakh during the Tenth Plan period for the development of Community Colleges in Tamil Nadu. Unfortunately, the project could not take off due to various socio-political reasons. Today, the young Members of Parliament show great interest in Rural Skill Development. I am happy to share that the present Government at the State not only encouraged the Community College system, but also has in its last budget allocated INR 1 crore as student scholarship for those who study at the TNOU through the Community Colleges. As on date, the Tamil Nadu Open University has 124 Community Colleges, which have enrolled a little more than 40,000 students. Of this, about 70 percent of the students are employed in the relevant industries. The Tamil Nadu Open University itself has employed more than 55 students. I am confident that with the guidance of the IGNOU , the TNOU will be in a better position to translate this project into a
successful reality. the basic electives in the respective subject of study worth of 32 credits to be completed in the first two years of Associate Degree programme of the Community College. A number of existing courses of IGNOU may be appropriately combined for an Associate Degree. Firming up with voices from the community: IGNOU Community Colleges Interface meetings Taking a stride from the concepts to action, the move for setting up community colleges in all parts of the country started gaining momentum when over 250 institutions met at IGNOU on 24 April 2009, for a daylong interface meeting to decide further action-plan. Eminent social workers from NGO s, Vice Chancellors of state level open universities, UGC member Fr. Xavier Alphonse, representatives of leading organisations in the movement like Young Men’s Christian Association, etc. attended the conference. Vice Chancellor, Professor VN Rajasekhar Pillai, who presided over the conference, said that the
movement has its seed in the 11th Plan outlay of the nation, in which the Planning Commission had identified

Inter-mission Industrial Development Association

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

June 1, 2009

If the statistics given by the National Information Centre are any indications to go by, then what becomes obvious is the huge percentage of dropouts at the high school and higher secondary school stages. This calls for an alternative system of education like the community colleges.

B. Bhavani is a case in point. She dropped out of tenth standard owing to severe conditions at home and financial constraint. Her father, an alcoholic, died in an accident. Being the only breadwinner in the family, her mother could earn a pittance of INR 1000, which was way below the subsistence level.

It was difficult to make ends meet. With all hopes crushed and her confidence at its lowest ebb, Bhavani was told about a community college that would be able to train and equip her with the skills to enter the job market. She entered IID Community College, (formerly Tabitha Community College) and joined the Diploma in Health Assistant (DHA) course.

Heavily bogged down by a deep sense of inferiority and inadequacy, she thought she couldn’t make it. But the life coping skills and other skills training modules taught along with the high quality training in nursing eventually prepared her to face up to the future. Bhavani is a confident nurse now and a totally transformed one at that. Multiply this into thousands, that’s the scenario of hope, which community colleges can offer.

Jochen Tewes, a mechanical engineer from Germany came to India in 1973 with a mission to work for the economically under privileged in India. Tewes observed that the children in the hundreds of orphanages supported by Inter-mission and other India partners were bereft of skills that are required in the job market. A strategy was in order. With like-minded friends he started Inter-Mission Industrial Development Association (IIDA) in 1974 with the focused vision to give relief and rehabilitation to the people below the poverty line.

Today IID runs 3 Industrial Training Schools, 7 Community Colleges and few daycare and health care projects for the benefit of its target groups. Unemployment is the root cause of many problems prevalent in India. It developed also because of an imbalance between education and employment. Through the community college system the aim was to provide work and life coping education, enabling the disadvantaged to find employment. The Inter-Mission Micro Enterprise Development (IMED) Programme was started in 1996 to help women with micro-loans to start their businesses and programmes that help them save money. IMED has been a successful venture by IIDA and has benefited more than 80,000 women.

‘As the IMED work expanded, the women who were being helped brought to the light the problems that their children were facing. The survey study revealed that most of these women had girl children, who had stopped going to school for various reasons,’ says M. R. Christopher, Chief Operating Officer, IID Association.

In 2002, the first ‘Tabitha Community College’ was started for girls in Chennai city. Other Community Colleges followed in other parts of Chennai both for boys and girls. Through the tsunami disaster in December 2004 the need in the coastal towns of Karaikal and Mahabalipuram challenged IID to start 2 Community Colleges in the year 2005.

The young women and men learn a variety of subjects such as: Computer Applications, Typewriting, Shorthand, Accountancy, Fashion Design, Health Assistants, Medical Lab Technicians, Electricians, and a variety of other job oriented courses. Not only work skills are taught here, but also subjects such as Life coping Skills, Communication and Interpersonal Skills. Before they complete their one-year training, the students are sent to companies and industries for a one-month internship period.

The IID community colleges have so far trained close to 3000 students with around 80% job placement. The remaining have opted for higher education or other walks of life.

Surya, a student who passed out from IID is now well placed in a company, MLS. ‘My current role is of a manager for the Corporate Business Services. I also provide consultation for the existing Business Centres in India on how to manage their Infrastructure. I head the Business Centres Projects in India.’ After completing her 10th Standard, Surya couldn’t continue her studies due to personal problems. She adds: ‘I had completed only 10th Standard and I could not pursue a degree in any of the regular colleges, which was one of the reasons for joining IID Community College. This god-given opportunity changed my life completely.’

Students in the Community College are mostly poor and supported by local sponsors. Christine Kirubala is the Dean of Students of the IID community colleges. ‘The students who come here are very poor and most of them are dropouts from Government schools. Several of them have problems coping with anger, depression, self-esteem. The Life coping Skills module is truly transformative as it helps them to come to terms with who they are,’ says Kirubala.

The close and active linkage between industry and community college is an important factor in the success of community colleges. On completion of the courses, the students are sent to organisations for Internship, where most of them are absorbed after their exams, for employment.

Research study of the students for the period of five years admitted from 2002- 2007, revealed the secular nature of the IID, which has brought about the empowerment of socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged and marginalised women:

Female 79 %
Married 6%
Age 19-35 99%
Educationally Un reached
<10th to 12th 92%
Socially Weaker Section
SC, ST, MBC, &BC 98%
Economically Weaker Section
Rs <3000 96%
Job Placement 73%
Higher Education 11%
Religion

American Community Colleges in the Downturn

Magazine

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

June 1, 2009

Can Education Save the Economy?

The recent global economic downturn is causing U.S. workers and employers to look to the educational system for skills that will allow them to thrive when the economy recovers. The Community College Research Center's (CCRC) mission is to conduct research on major issues affecting community colleges in the United States and to contribute to the development of practice and policy that expands access to higher education and promotes success for all students.

A boom in demand for education typically occurs in downturns, and this one is no exception, although the magnitude of the downturn is greater than has been experienced in many years. Workers are being dislocated from industries that often won't return, and need to retrain.

However, education alone cannot save the economy. Much larger forces are at work, such as international equity and debt markets, the banking crisis, and the deflation of consumer confidence. The Obama administration, in concert with other governments, is taking a many-faceted approach to attacking the economic crisis, including an economic stimulus unprecedented in its scale, reduction of interest rates, and bailouts of large institutions. It is also taking a longer-term approach, attempting to decrease national energy and health-care costs, and placing a new emphasis on education.

U.S. policymakers are focusing on education because a modern economy cannot function without an educated workforce. Increased attention is being given to the over 1,000 community colleges in the United States that enroll almost 12 million credit and non-credit students, and 44% of all undergraduates. Community colleges typically offer programmes of up to two years, including many types of vocational and technical programmes. Unlike many four-year institutions, these colleges are typically open-access and much lower-cost. Thus, community colleges have been for some time now trying to cope with the large influx of dislocated workers.

Community Colleges, Economic Development, and Job Training

The current economic crisis highlights an increased need for community colleges to perform careful ongoing market analysis to determine local demand for labour, particularly skilled labour. They need to align their efforts with economic development efforts. It is difficult to predict demand, which means that community colleges need to operate with a continual “ear to the ground” to detect changes in labour market demand.

There continues to be high demand for mid-level skill jobs. If the labour market is divided, roughly, into three parts; low-skill, middle-skill, and high-skill; which correspond, again roughly, to educational levels of high school or less, some college or vocational training, and four-year college, the mid-skill segment continues to be the largest of the three, at about half (Holzer and Lerman, 2009). Community colleges play the major role in training workers for these jobs.

The challenges for community colleges are greatest in areas with dramatic changes in the industrial composition, such as in the so-called “rust belt” of the industrial Midwest, where old jobs are gone and are probably not coming back after the downturn. The challenges are also particularly difficult in high-unemployment states, like California. In these parts of the country, community colleges need to have an even greater link with economic development efforts.

These economic development and concomitant training efforts need to be focused on those areas of the economy in which there is likely to be growth in the future, for example, in health, in education, in construction, and in “green jobs,” which are jobs linked to safeguarding the environment.. Health care, in particular, is expected to grow rapidly because of the aging of the “baby-boom” generation. These are the areas that have been targeted by the federal stimulus package, so there is a synergy here between the strengths of community college programmes and the goals of the package. Federal job training monies can also be accessed by workers attending community colleges, with a special focus on workers adversely affected by international trade. Community colleges also play a role in training workers in information technology; demand for such workers will likely be robust when the recovery hits.

Community colleges will continue to play a prominent role in training first-responders and protective-service workers. While some politicians spend much time bemoaning the growth of government, the public has been continually increasing its demand for government services. Community colleges play a major role in training police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics in many jurisdictions. Many health care workers work for government agencies, and community colleges train many of them as well. Thus, this will be a source of opportunities for dislocated workers, especially as the recovery gets underway.

“Green” Jobs

The new emphasis on the green economy and green jobs could have a “win-win” effect of both improving the economy by making it more efficient, and providing much needed high-wage employment. Green jobs will be found in a range of areas: in building the infrastructure for expanded mass transit, in developing batteries for the next generation of hybrid and electric cars, in developing wind turbines for windmills, and in developing solar panels for heat and hot water. Waste management and recycling, source reduction, resource management, food processing, and organic farming are also potential sources of such jobs. The green economy will require workers at both intermediate and high levels of skill, both skilled craft workers like electricians and carpenters, as well as engineers and scientists. Community colleges can play a major role in training the former workers.

Because green jobs are focused on improving energy efficiency in the U.S., they are less vulnerable to international competition, and they tend to pay higher wages than average. The ascendancy of the green jobs concept is a shift from the earlier view, in which environmentalism was seen simply as a cost to the economy, rather than a potential savings.

Entrepreneurship

Community colleges can help foster entrepreneurship. They provide a great deal of training in business-related skills, such as information technology and accounting. They often offer programmes on how to start small businesses and can support such efforts as business incubators. These small businesses can be targeted at industries that will be initially supported through the stimulus package. For instance, small engineering and construction businesses can be created that specialise in retrofitting houses, apartments, or commercial buildings so that they use energy more efficiently (through better insulation and controls, and the like) and installing equipment, such as solar panels or windmills, that can actually generate energy locally. Or, the incubator could help start small businesses that specialise in software and business processes for medical offices and hospitals, to take advantage of the Obama administration's focus on increasing quality and efficiency in the health care sector through improved use of information technology.

Some community colleges have developed innovative programmes for training these workers, such as the Washington State system's Integrated Basic Education

Increasing the Stock of Human Capital

Raising higher education completion rates is a longer term investment in workforce development in which community colleges play an important role. These rates are beginning to plateau and the U.S. is beginning to lose its historical edge in educational attainment. This trend needs to be reversed for the sake of international competitiveness and preserving the American standard of living, which, in terms of purchasing power parity, remains the highest in the world among the large economies. Many economists have estimated that the relatively high educational level of workers in the U.S. has been a factor essential to its past success.

Disadvantaged Workers

Disadvantaged workers are, in aggregate, most severely hurt by an economic downturn; community colleges can play a role in helping these workers upgrade their skills so that they are ready to move up in the labour market. There are many workers labouring at the bottom of the market, for relatively low wages. There has been a small increase in this segment of the labour force. Most of these workers have low levels of skills and education. Some are immigrants, and some are native-born workers who have managed to fall through the cracks of the education and training system. Some community colleges have developed innovative programs for training these workers, such as the Washington State system's Integrated Basic Education Skills Training Programme (I-BEST). This programme couples basic education with vocational training using a team-teaching approach and has a good track record in placing students in areas such as allied health, child care, or in entry-level administrative positions requiring some IT skills.
Helping this population upgrade its skills is a “win-win;” they earn higher wages, the economy benefits from their increased productivity, and they are less likely to rely on government assistance. In addition, firms may adjust their production strategies to make more use of higher-skilled workers as the composition of the labour force changes.

Looking Beyond the Crisis

In the current economic climate, community colleges need to be aware of students' long term career interests. Many displaced workers who go to community colleges seeking retraining will be concerned with their immediate employment needs. They will be grappling with the psychological impact of job loss; some may be angry and still dealing with issues related to losing their jobs; many will be desperate to find work. Employers are skeptical of workers simply seeking a paycheck, particularly in this environment where they can be very choosy in hiring workers. They will be looking for a genuine interest in a career from workers applying for a job.
Community colleges will play an important role in helping displaced workers readjust to their new reality and plan ahead for their future careers while also addressing issues from their recent displacement. Colleges need to be aware of their students' longer-term goals to make sure they select appropriate careers, and to encourage them, when appropriate, to pursue pathways with both short- and long-term opportunities. Overall, it is critical that we not take a quick-fix perspective but understand and draw on the important role community colleges can play in training, re-training, and providing higher education for a large part of our population on an ongoing basis.

Community College Abundance Model

Magazine

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

June 1, 2009

All organisations are impacted by changing environments and economic conditions across the globe and Bedeian and Armenakis (1998, p. 59) indicate it is the non-profit organisation, especially colleges and universities that are ‘least partially protected from immediate market conditions.’ As a result, higher education institutions are confronted with the need to re-examine operations and strategy to take advantage of potential competitive advantages, provide exceptional value, and effectively contend with a growing number of competitors (Alfred, Shults, Ramirez, Sullivan, Chambers, and Knabjian-Molina, 2005).

When looking at the growing inter-connectedness of economies and industries, these issues become even more pressing for higher education institutions, especially community colleges. Consider, for example, how the increasing pervasiveness of technology and globalisation of capitalistic practices are impacting community colleges in America.

Friedman (2006), in his treatise on the changing and turbulent world, explains that x-rays can be transferred electronically and read in other countries and the results sent back to America and that statuettes of the Virgin of Guadeloupe, an important religious figure in Mexico, are now produced in China and shipped. What does this mean for community colleges in America? It means that academic administrators and faculty need to constantly assess the growth potential of fields and adjust offerings (how many radiology techs will be necessary) and that a low cost strategy will not ensure increased enrollment (students want value and there is decreasing public support).

Community colleges have historically operated from a bureaucratic management model, a model pushed throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s (transactional leadership) and effective within stable environments. As verified by the current global economic crisis and the fact that 47% of the world’s wealth has been lost in the last 18 months (Rueters, 2009), however, economic environments are no longer stable and individuals, organisations, and governments are struggling to operate within globalised knowledge-influenced economies. Management practices and personal dynamics need to be adjusted to deal with the increasingly turbulent environments, especially within community colleges since they are often economic and workforce engines as well as transfer institutions.

In an effort to provide a new operational model for community colleges, Alfred, Jacquette, & Strickland (2009) and Shults (2008a, 2008b, 2009) built upon their expertise and conducted studies guided by the field of positive psychology to develop a strength-based approach to operations.

Specifically, the Community College Abundance Model (CCAM) reflects information gathered from examinations into Positive Organisational Scholarship (POS) and Positive Organisational Behavior (POB) and represents an operational model premised on appreciating human capital, building on strengths, ensuring adjustment to changing environments, and providing unique value to stakeholders. The model is built on the assumption that the ability to move towards abundance (optimal organisational performance) is premised on the ability to transcendently leverage a college’s tangible, intangible, and leadership resources. While leveraging is a business tactic that reflects the ability to amplify the impact of resources, transcendent leveraging reflects an organisational mindset guided by hope and resiliency that assumes resources will be leveraged regardless of circumstances (Shults, 2008b). Regarding the resources identified in the CCAM,

Community College Abundance Model represents an operational model premised on appreciating human capital, building on strengths, ensuring adjustment to changing environments, and providing unique value to stakeholders

Tangible resources reflect easily quantifiable and well understood resources (i.e. number of staff, facilities, income, etc.).

Intangible resources reflect more difficult to measure resources, but resources which are key in obtaining a competitive advantage (i.e. culture, human capital, reputation, etc.).

Leadership resources refer to the prevalence and pervasiveness of leadership throughout the college.

Alfred et al. (2009) and Shults (2008a) were able to develop an abundance continuum based on how effectively colleges leverage the aforementioned resources as well as their ability to engage in a series of practices. Generally speaking, colleges of challenge (those on the lesser abundance end of the continuum) are colleges focused exclusively on tangible resources as a result of impending crises and turmoil, colleges of choice (colleges in the middle of the continuum) have the potential to move towards greater abundance, but are unable to fully leverage their available resources, and colleges of abundance (those on the greater abundance end of the continuum) are primarily focused on intangible resources and the development of human capital. Additionally, colleges of abundance typically develop and maintain vast partnerships and networks, abundant staffing patterns, private gifts and grants as a substantial portion of revenue, investments in technology focused on enhancing student success, effective and unparalleled service to companies, and enrollment and retention of under-served populations.

Two factors are essential for reaching or moving towards the abundance model

Corporate News: June2009

Magazine

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

June 1, 2009

Educomp reports 73% jump in consolidated net profit

Backed by strong performance of its education solutions software Smart Class which is targeted at schools, Educomp Ltd has registered 73% jump in consolidated net profit to INR 54.5 crore for quarter ended March over last year. Its total revenues grew more than 50% to close the quarter at INR 184.3 crore.

The education solutions provider attributed the performance to its two major products, Smart Class and instructional & computing technologies (ICT in education). Revenues as well as profits from Smart Class more than doubled for the quarter as it expanded its reach to 1.98 million students across more than 1,700 schools in the country. Similarly, the ICT business of Educomp has now reached more than 12,000 schools.

e2e People Practices launches EduWorks to embed
educational governess

e2e People Practices, India, has launched 'EduWorks' solutions to address critical aspects of managing the education system efficiently, hereby, bridging the gap between skill requirements of the corporate world and knowledge imparted by academic institutions. 'EduWorks' offers a three-point programme to align the skills and knowledge requirements of the corporate world to the existing curriculum.

'Today, students not only face competition from their contemporaries but also from professionals who are being given the pink slip. Being in sync with industry demands becomes critical to make yourself employable. EduWorks improves the student's employability becoming their 'hope' during recession,' said Yeshasvini Ramaswamy, Director, e2e People Practices.

LearnHub.com launches Delhi University Admissions 2009
community

LearnHub.com has launched Delhi University Admissions community, which would act as one-stop online destination for all DU admission related queries and also as a platform to connect DU colleges with thousands of students from Delhi and other states who aspire to get admission to Delhi University in 2009.

'Every year, the majority of applicants struggle to get the DU admission information. Students have to run from college to college for every small piece of information. Access to information becomes even more difficult for those who reside outside Delhi,' says Abhishek Singla, Director of Marketing, LearnHub.com.

MoU signed between NIT and TCS

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the National Institute of Technology, Warangal and the Tata Consultancy Services, to envisage building technical knowledge pool and development of skilled human resources. As per the MoU, training facilities will be provided to students and faculties of the computer science and engineering departments of NIT.

There would be two-way transfer of technology information and knowledge through collaborative programme such as internships, guest lectures, seminar and symposia. Exchange of visits of technical people of the industry to institute and vice-versa, access to knowledge resources of the institute to the industry and vice versa will be a part of it.

FTIL, IGNOU seal MoU for programme on financial markets

MCX promoter Financial Technologies (India) Ltd (FTIL) has signed an MoU with the IGNOU, under which the open university will offer a one-year post-graduate diploma course in financial market practices.

Financial Technologies Knowledge Management Co (FTKMC), a knowledge hub of the Financial Technologies Group, will be the content provider for the course on financial markets. The programme will commence in July 2009 and will spread over five disciplines – equity markets, derivative markets, commodity markets, currency and bond markets, and professional practice in financial markets.

ViewSonic launches super short-throw portable projector

ViewSonic Corp., a global provider of visual display products, has launched a new versatile super short throw projector

India News: June 2009

Magazine

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

June 1, 2009

India to provide training to Afghan school teachers

The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) has been directed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to prepare a specific curriculum to train Afghan school teachers on student-friendly methods of teaching to strengthen the education system in Afghanistan.

'Teachers coming from Afghanistan will be here for two years and will be imparted with the modern and student-friendly methods of teaching,' a senior HRD ministry official said. At the end of the training, teachers will be awarded diploma certificates.

NIIT initiative for 1,870 schools in Gujarat

The NIIT has entered into a contract with the state Education Department to introduce Computer Aided Learning in 1,870 government schools for classes 9-12 in Gujarat.

The five-year contract valued at INR 84.38 crore, would impact around 9,00,000 school students across Gujarat. Based on its track record of providing quality ICT education solutions in schools NIIT bagged the majority share of the contract awarded by the state government, L. Balasubramanian, President, School Learning Solutions, NIIT Ltd, said.

IGNOU to launch BA programme for hearing impaired students

Over 40 lakh students with hearing impairment can now dream of attending college, graduating with degrees and jobs in their hand with the Indira Gandhi National Open University launching first of its kind Bachelor in Arts (BA) programme for them in India.

The programme, done in collaboration with University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), UK, will kickstart with 40 seats from this academic year at IGNOU's Delhi campus offering full-time BA in Applied Sign Language Studies and BA honours in Applied Sign Language Studies. Students will have to undergo selection process after which they would be enrolled for the course. Post graduation, students will also be assisted in getting jobs.

Indian professor gets Leontief Award

The Leontief Award 2009 has been conferred on Bina Agarwal, Professor of Economics at the Institute of Economic Growth. The award has been instituted in honour of Nobel laureate Wassily Leontief, given by the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University, US.

The Leontief Award is conferred to recognise outstanding contribution to economic theory that addresses contemporary realities and supports just and sustainable societies.
The presentation ceremony will be held later this year. Distinguished winners of the award in previous years include John K. Galbraith, Amartya Sen, Paul Streeten, Herman Daly, Dani Rodrik and Robert Wade.

Six varsities, 150 colleges to be netlinked in Kerala

Six universities and 150 colleges in Kerala will be netlinked soon, making it easier for educational institutions to exchange information and share activities. The Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT) will be the nodal agency and will coordinate the networking of information. A proposal has been sent by the state government to the Ministry of Human Resource Development for clearance.

Meanwhile, the CUSAT is all set to launch a knowledge repository which will link all the state and central institutions situated in Kochi. 'We are negotiating with the scientific institutions in Kochi and we will provide a platform for the common public as well as industries who are on the lookout for information,' said Registrar N Chandramohankumar.

Delhi University to conduct its first online exam

Delhi University (DU) will become one of the first central universities in the country to conduct an online examination for its undergraduate science students. A K Bakshi, Director of the Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL) under DU which formulated the online examination paper, said that for the first time students of the B.Sc course will be taking their environmental science paper online.

'It's just a starter. Students of the B.Sc course will take one of their qualifying papers, of environmental science, online. If a success, it should set a trend for more university exams to go the same way,' he added. A total of 2,500 students from 27 colleges will take the exam, scheduled in the first week of June. The examination will however be held in just three centres and that too in three shifts. The online exam is a part of DU's larger plan to go the e-learning way. ILL has been working on making the entire teaching process, and now even the assessment process, more tech-savvy for a number of subjects.

Empowering Women Through Open and Distance Education

Article

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

June 1, 2009

Open and Distance Education (ODE) has emerged as a powerful instrument for augmenting opportunities in the field of vocationl education, especially for women. Set up in 2003, the Tamil Nadu Open University seeks to develop the competency and skills for improving employment opportunities for the disadvantaged, especially women. The popularity of its Vocational Education Programmes can be gauged from its impressive growth in the last five years with a cumulative student strength of about 74,755, of which 33,632 are from the vocational stream.

Each and every learner enrolled for TNOU’s Vocational Education have to study two compulsory Courses, namely, ‘Life coping Skills’ and ‘Communication skills’.

Open Universities have the potential to convert Vocational Education in to reality, especially for women learners. Open Universities are, therefore, a boon for the unemployed women in India. The Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) was established by an Act (No.27 of 2002) of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu to benefit those who have been deprived of access to higher education, especially women and those who have dropped out for various reasons. The academic operations of the University began in 2003 with about 20 Academic Programmes, each comprising a number of traditional as well as innovative courses. At present, it offers 81 Academic Programmes, of which Vocational Education Programmes are very popular among the unemployed. Though the University is hardly five years old, it has registered an impressive growth having a cumulative student strength of about 74,755 of which 33,632 are from the Vocational Education Programmes.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES OF TNOU

The TNOU Vocational Education Programmes have been designed in such a way to enhance the skills and knowledge of students for immediate employment, particularly in the private sector. These programmes have been developed using innovative technology in print and other multi media. In order to enable the school dropouts to earn their livelihood, the need based programmes launched by TNOU are the following:

Diploma in House Electrician (DHE)
Diploma in Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Technician (DRAT)
Diploma in Four Wheeler Mechanism (DFWM)
Diploma in Health Assistant (DHA)
Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (DECE)
Diploma in Fashion Design and Garment Making (DFGM)
Diploma in DTP Operator (DDTP)
Diploma in Plumbing Technician (DPT)
Diploma in Catering Assistant (DCA)
Diploma in Beautician (DIB)
Diploma in Applied Music (DAM)
Diploma in Medical Lab Technology (DMLT)
Diploma in Optometry and Refraction (DIOR)
Diploma in Apparel and Fashion Design (DAFD)
Advanced Diploma in Apparel and Fashion Design (ADAFD)
Bachelor Degree in Apparel and Fashion Design (BAFD) and
Certificate Programme in Accounting Software using Tally (CPAS)

DELIVERY SYSTEM

TNOU delivers all its Vocational Education Programmes through Vocational Programme Centres (VPCs). Community Colleges, having minimum infrastructure facilities, are the main service providers of these centres and TNOU recognises the Community Colleges as Vocational Programme Study Centres. These VPCs also have collaboration with relevant industries for training and placements. Over the years, there has been a huge demand from the public for starting VPCs.

STUDENT ENROLLMENT IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

As of August 2007, 33,622 learners have enrolled for the Vocational Education Programmes. These learners mainly comprise dropouts, children from tsunami-affected families, those who failed at the secondary school level and skilled workers not having any qualification or certification. Most of these students are in the age group of 15-20 years.

There is a clear sweep in the enrolment for the TNOU Vocational Education Programmes. Further, it was found that of the Vocational Programme learners, 25,623 were women.

WOMEN IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

Women comprise the largest section of the underprivileged group in India and continue to shoulder all domestic responsibilities. Women in India face restrictions in the form of traditional patriarchal attitudes. Therefore, the Vocational Education Programmes through distance mode has been recommended primarily for women learners who had to discontinue their studies for financial or other reasons and also who stay in rural areas. It also paves a way for those who want to continue learning after marriage to improve their social and economic status. At present the number of women students has considerably increased, thanks to the Open and Distance Learning which women find convenient, economical and beneficial. Nearly 90% of the learners, after completion of the vocational education, are employed in relevant industries.

STUDY ANALYSIS

Competency and Skills of the women learners after completion of VEP at TNOU:

The competency and skills of the women learners after completion of TNOU Programmes has increased as per the feedback given by the women learners. Each and every learner enrolled for TNOU’s Vocational Education has to study two compulsory courses, namely, ‘Life coping Skills’ and ‘Communication Skills’. These two courses are specifically designed to develop the competency level of a person and improve their communicative skills. The increase in response for Vocational Education Programme every year clearly states that these programmes are currently required for the mass of people in India for developing skills and gaining financial positions out of their skills and competency.

In a feedback given by a women learners who completed the DTP Operator Programme in TNOU, she expresses that the training provided by the Community College/VPC for the DTP Operator Programme has given her the confidence to start DTP Operator business. She now earns a minimum of INR 250 per day, having learnt subjects like Page Maker, Internet, E-mail, Photoshop and Corel Draw.

Employment opportunities of learners after successful completion of VEP Programme at TNOU:

The employment opportunities of TNOU learners in Community Colleges after successful completion of Vocational Education Programmes is 90%. TNOU learners are sent to various industries for internship during the course by the Community Colleges. Observing the competency and skills of these learners during internship, these industries then offer suitable job opportunities.

Once the course is completed, the women learners of TNOU have many opportunities on hand, namely:

a) Becoming an entrepreneur by opening her own firm with the practical knowledge gained from related programme.
b) Grabbing an opportunity in the same firm where she has undergone internship training.
c) Getting employed in an organisation, relevant to her study.
The feedback collected from the Community Colleges with respect to employment and earnings is given in the table.
The figures clearly shows that nearly 50% of male learners and nearly 60% of the female learners are employed in INR 2000-4000 salary range. Those self-employed include 10% males and 5% females. It has also been observed that employment opportunities of learners are enhanced after successful completion of VEP Programme at TNOU.Community Colleges for providing employment oriented programme and best service provider: The best Community Colleges were contacted to find out about employment oriented prorammes and those providing best services to the women learners.

Selection of Employment

Oriented Programmes   90%
Delivery Method          90%
Industrial Partner         95%

Nearly 90% of Community Colleges are involved in selecting employment oriented programmes from TNOU for its women learners and best Delivery Method using innovative technologies. It was also observed that 95% of Community Colleges have partnerships with industrial houses for hands-on training to its women learners, which makes them eligible for employment in relevant industries.

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

There is clear sweep in the enrolment for the TNOU Vocational Education Employment and Earnings of Women Learners Programmes, i.e. 33,632 learners of which 25,623 are women learners.
Ninety per cent of women learners are employed and this shows that there are employment opportunities for women learners after successful completion of VEP Programme at Community Colleges of TNOU.
Ninety per cent of women learners said that they commanded more respect within the family, neighbourhood and also at work place after obtaining diploma through the TNOU Programme.

Ninety per cent of the Community Colleges provide employment oriented programmes and best training to women learners.
At present, Open Education through distance mode has come to be accepted as relevant and necessary for meeting the requirements of the society. One of the main features of the Open Universities is providing access to higher education to all sections of societies, particularly women, who did not have access to it earlier. TNOU is marching towards the goal of stimulating the socio-economic development of the disadvantaged group through implementing Vocational Education Programmes.

Dr.P.Thiyagarajan has served many organisations of repute, before joining in Tamil Nadu Open University. Few among them are, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), Indira Gandhi National Open University. Currently, he serves in Tamil Nadu Open University, Chennai as Reader and Head, School of Continuing Education.

Ushering Change In The Community

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

June 1, 2009

An exciting development is unfolding as you read this. It is a change that promises to allow millions access skills to materialise their dreams and be a part of India’s development. They could be unskilled workers in an urban area or a girl in a rural household wanting to get qualification and skills to bring growth to community.

This note of optimism emerges from signs of the beginning of a new chapter in India’s non-formal education system by the way of community colleges.

Recently, over 250 institutions from across the country came together at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to brainstorm ideas and plans to give a determined push to open community colleges across India. This meeting can easily be called a milestone in this journey.

An immediate follow-up of this is visible in the roll out of a plan to introduce the concept of community colleges in the July fall of this academic year through some 200 institutions, under the IGNOU.

A large population constituting diverse levels of social and economic development in India translates into complex challenges for passing on the benefits of education and skill development to people who have not had access to education or dropped out of schools, or simply had to join the job market at whatever level they could. The community colleges are an answer to this.

The need for community colleges is undeniable for a nation where, adult literacy rate is as low as 61% and 89% of its students enrolled in schools drop out.

By the very nature of this concept of seamless and openly structured education, ICT will be a major pillar in both its management and dissemination.

Through this special issue we aim to stimulate research and discuss the issue of Community Colleges as a viable and alternative system of education. We have also attempted to consolidate the performance of similar ventures in helping the community emerge as functional players in the economy.

We express our deepest appreciation to IGNOU, especially the Hon Vice Chancellor, for their guidance throughout the entire process of bringing out the special issue.

80-year old opens college for teaching charity

Higher Education

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

May 30, 2009

80-year old opens college for teaching charity

An 80-year-old man, Chief Olatunde Abudu, has set up a college aimed at empowering the less privileged and resuscitating the dying virtue of charity among Nigerians. Abudu, who spoke with newsmen at the site of the school- Maiyegun College, Abeokuta, Ogun State, said that the conception and delivery of the five-phased college located in the outskirt of the historic city were being driven by charity.

Abudu said that his desire to see poverty reduced among the less privileged in the country through qualitative education also informed his decision to float the school. Describing the school as a fulfilment of a vision and a mission mooted about 20 years ago, Abudu said that the charity would be included in the curriculum of the school. According to him, the unique selling point of the college scheduled to take off in September will be its priority to give full scholarship to the indigent, ICT-driven learning and teaching of French Language.

‘Our scholarship is not going to be enjoyed by the most brilliant only but the needy; the whole essence of conceiving this total child development educational institution, which is going to be fully boarding, is to relive the virtues in our old values. It will afford the children to fit into the society and meet the challenges of the changing world,’ said Abudu. Abudu, who was flanked by the school Principal, David Jennings, former Rector, Ogun State Polytechnic, Adebisi Adebayo and an architect, Samson Popoola, said the continuity of the noble objectives behind the establishment of the college would be sustained through resources from Abudu Foundation.

The principal, a South African, said that the school would provide first class teaching, learning and accommodation facilities that would make the parents and students proud. According to Jennings, the junior secondary school 1 and 11 will start-off in September, adding that the virtues of discipline, hard-work and sense of patriotism which are the hallmarks of schools like the Abeokuta Grammar School, Baptist Boys High School and other top rated schools in the country would be replicated in the college. He, however, added that the college would be better off because it would be ICT-driven while French Language would be a compulsory subject. In order to inculcate the virtues of patriotism and selfless service in the pupils, Abudu disclosed that the eight hostels in the college would be named after foremost Nigerian nationalists, including late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Chief Denis Osadebe, Ahmadu Bello, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Margaret Ekpo, and Nnamdi Azikiwe.

LATEST NEWS

EDITOR PICKS

Top Trending News

POPULAR POSTS

Top Trending Categories

POPULAR CATEGORY

Latest Articles