Rural SC, ST women on career flight path

Hyderabad: For most rural women, especially those hailing from the SC and ST communities, getting through Class X itself is quite a hurdle, what to say completing graduation and aspiring to a good job.
Now, thanks to the Employment Generation and Marketing Mission (EGMM) of the Department of Rural Development, the first batch of 35 SC and ST women selected from interior villages of the State are being trained as air hostesses for employment in airlines of repute.
They are set to complete their three-month training programme in February 2009.
According to officials of the EGMM, companies like Air India have about 15 per cent reservation quota for SC and ST candidates in various departments.
For several years, these were not filled as suitable candidates were not to be found.
“To become an air hostess, candidates should have at least completed their graduation which is very rare among SC and ST women from rural areas. Also, very few of them even know about reservations in various sectors. Our initiative is likely to boost the employment prospects of several SC and ST women,’’ said Gopal Garg, state mission manager of the EGMM.
Should the project prove successful, the officials are planning to expand it.
The EGMM has selected 35 women graduates from rural areas and will provide them with air-hostess training at the Computers, Management and Technical Education Services (CMTES) in Secunderabad. The State Government is spending Rs 25,000 on each candidate.
They will be trained in communication skills, personality development, and aviation subjects apart from English and French language.
25/12/08 PS Dileep/ExpressBuzz