By Sana Faheem | Senior Program Associate
Dear Supporters!
Continuing our activities to empower persons with disabilities, we welcomed this year with exciting new training in different trades! We hope the start of 2018 has been amazing so far for all of you too!
Beginning with our training at mainstream vocational training centres, we started out new batches in the Plumbing and Auto Body and Paint trades. The trades were selected again due to the great responses we have received from the training centres, employers and trainees alike.
Plumbing:
Our candidates are enrolled in the Plumbing trade in 2 batches, for a 6 month long and 1 year long training respectively. This allows us to have a ready set of future plumbers by June 2018, to be placed right after the end of the training. Our hearing impaired trainees are currently preparing to appear in the selection process for their certification exams, and we wish them the best of luck!
Graduates from our previous batch of hearing impaired Plumbers have been promoted by their employer and some have even ventured out on their own, starting from their neighbourhood. We hope the same success befalls their junior peers.
Auto Body and Paint:
Being a field with a lot of growing capacity, the demand to get specialised trained inidividuals is high in the market. Cashing in on the need and our brilliant experience at this training, we started out a new batch twice larger than its predecessors. Despite being a novel experience, the trainers were thoroughly impressed by their previous batch of hearing impaired trainees and were eagerly looking forward to start out their new batch. Currently, the six month training has completed its first month.
Housekeeping and Laundry:
Housekeeping and Laundry were a new and interesting experience for us and the trainers. Hearing impaired individuals selected for this course showed immense potential to learn and deliver. During the 6 month training, the trainees were able to develop their skills for theory as well as working on job, to fully grasp the requirements of the job. The training was conducted at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi, and was completed in April, 2018. For the way forward, we along with the training centre are in process of placing our trainees in relevant jobs. Following the successful experience, we are looking into expanding in to Lahore, Islamabad and even the northern areas of Pakistan.
Call Centre Training:
After the first batch of training in Call Centre skills, we began a new batch with visually impaired trainees conducted inhouse at NOWPDP. The aim is to develop the skills for call centre, and at the same time enhance the confidence and computer skills of the students. The three month training ends in June.
Basic Computer Training:
Gauging from our interactions with persons with visual impairment, we realised the importance of introducing training to teach them how to operate the computer and internet with the help of JAWS speech-reading software. The training was introduced to persons with visual impairment completing their studies to allow them to utilise these skills in their academic and professional lives.
MS Office and Internet usage Training:
A training for persons with hearing-speech, physical or mild intellectual impairment was also introduced to enhance their skills. The three month training inlcuded the skills for using MS Word, MS Excel and MS Powerpoint, along with basic level internet usage to prepare persons with disabilities for the workplace.
Karigar (Couture Embroidery) Training:
The training for Karigar skills (couture embroidery) were introduced for persons with physical impairment and persons with hearing impairment. With the growing market in couture wear, these skills go a long way covering areas of basic embroidery to details embellishment and couture work, allowing the trainees to find employment as well as freelance for different projects.
Artificial Jewelry Making Training:
We partnered with a training institute in Hunza to train women with disabilities in the skills of artifical jewelry making. Since the area is popular for tourism and its exotic jewelry, the skills are useful for women with disabilities as a way to empower them
Textile Design Training:
The training for textile design provided quick learning to fine tune drawing and colour mixing abilities and evelop skills on the Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator software. IResearch for inspiration and developing mood boards was also included in the training. The training was provided to persons with hearing impairment. Of the graduating batch, 2 trainees were immediately offered positions at a leading designer, in the textile design and styling teams.
Your continued support motivates us to do more! With your encouragement and our successes in different trades, we are looking forward to introduce more soft skills training as well as techinical trades that can allow persons with disabilities to compete in the job market.
By Sana Faheem | Associate
By Sana Faheem | Associate
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