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124k people with varied backgrounds apply for ‘Covid Warrior’ courses
The programme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0 in June last year, envisages reducing the burden on health care and front-line professionals amid the pandemic by training at least 100,000 people in various essential activities.
From those who dropped out after Class 5 to those with postgraduate degrees, a total of 124,000 people from diverse backgrounds have enrolled for a government crash course on how to become “Covid warriors”, according to data from the Union ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship seen by HT.
The programme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0 in June last year, envisages reducing the burden on health care and front-line professionals amid the pandemic by training at least 100,000 people in various essential activities.
According to the ministry, 124,000 people in 425 districts across 33 states and Union territories have signed up as on January 13, 2022, and many of them have already started working after completing their training.The qualification breakdown of the candidates shows that 59,000 had either studied till Class 12 or undergone certificate courses from ITIs (industrial training institutes), and around 54,000 were educated till Class 10, 289 till Class 9, 559 till Class 8, and 33, 26 and 64, till classes 7, 6 and 5 respectively.
Nearly 1,400 candidates had a Bachelor’s degree in arts (BA), 199 in commerce (B.Com), 63 in engineering (Btech/B.E), 593 in science (B.Sc), and 29 in business administration (BBA). There were also several people with postgraduate degrees -- 90 in arts (MA), 41 in science (MSc), 11 in business administration (MBA), and 25 masters in Commerce -- who opted for the course. Apart from this, some other people with other postgraduate degrees, including M.Ed, M. Arch , and MCA, also signed up.
Six customised course have been developed under two larger categories – fresh training and upskilling – by the Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC). The training duration is between three and four months. The candidates are trained in working basic equipment such as oxygen concentrators and pulse oximeters, and to provide support in handling clinical, trauma, and mass casualty emergencies. They are also trained to provide support in home aide services, maintain record of patients, collect samples including swabs, and conduct rapid antigen tests (RAT). The training programmes are being conducted at Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) and other affiliated government training centres.
“I was working as a data entry operator in a private firm in Lucknow and was earning ₹8,000 a month when I got to know about this course. I have had interest in the medical field since the beginning, and it was a great opportunity for me. I am soon going to complete the course and hope to get a decent paying job in a hospital after this,” said Atiq-ur-Rahman, a resident of Gorakhpur, with a Master’s degree in Hindi Literature.
Officials at the ministry said that they are yet to compile the data of candidates who have been placed in different jobs after completing the course. “A large majority of the candidates opted for the fresh training category that was meant for persons new to the medical field, and therefore, they are yet to reach the placement stage. However, some of those from the first batches have started getting placed,” said a senior official who asked not to be named.
Nitu Kumari, a resident of Darbhanga in Bihar, recently got a job in a private hospital in Noida as a nursing assistant at a salary of ₹12,000 per month after completing the crash course. “I wanted to further study after my graduation but I could not pursue my dream due to the poor financial situation of my family. When I got to know about this crash course I decided to take it. Also, I wanted to help people amid this pandemic in any possible way. I have seen people dying at home during the second wave of pandemic last year,” she said.
