With funding provided by the Government of India, Embracing the World researchers at Amma’s Amrita University are developing a revolutionary approach to vocational training, using multimedia and haptic technology.The project, s.a.v.e. (Sakshat-Amrita Vocational Education) is charting a course toward offering vocational education on a scale never before possible, by using breakthrough technologies to overcome traditional logistical barriers to educating remote and impoverished communities.
On 11 March 2010, in honor of World Plumbing Day s.a.v.e. delivered its first module on plumbing in the Tribal Settlement of Kumbitankuzhy, Idukki District, Kerala. In a break with customary practices, the course was targeted equally toward women and girls as toward men and boys.
The average existing income of course participants at the time of the course was $2.25 – $4.50 a day. By the end of the course, six young women and six young men had made a commitment to pursue plumbing as a profession.
Beyond helping course participants, it was critical to the architects of s.a.v.e that in the process of delivering a computerized vocational education course, the entire community would benefit. After approaching the local leaders of Kumbitankuzhy to learn about the community’s plumbing needs, s.a.v.e discovered the entire settlement of over 150 people shared a single water tap, resulting in long lines for fetching water. What the community really needed was a second community water tap. When the s.a.v.e. module was complete, the students (boys and girls) applied the lessons they learned from the computerized vocational content to the real world and installed a new water tap for the whole community.
gr8 intiative from the side of Govt: n the help provided by Amrita… Proud to be an Amritian
Wonderful initiative and achievement by Amrita. Thanks to the Govt for supporting this endeavor.