Dec 23 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)
Job We Met: Teach India's English Edge
Nitisha Kashyap
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New Delhi:
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30,000 young Indians have been made job ready by the Teach India programme that also conducts special projects for students in ITIs, for Delhi Police and also in institutions such as Tihar Jail
Among the many students and job-aspirants who have undergone a Teach India training for proficiency in spoken English are some key groups. One of the programme's major initiatives was its partnering with government-run industrial training institutes, popularly known as the ITIs.It was often observed that despite receiving training, ITI graduates failed to secure employment in reputed organizations because of their lack of proficiency in professional communication. To skill these students in spoken English, Teach India conducted a pilot in March 2012 with about 100 students. It was a big success, such that Teach India was made the official training partner for spo ken-English training at `World Class Skills Centre' and the programme implemented successfully in many more ITIs in Delhi. Another key spoken-English training programme was launched for Tihar Jail inmates on the premise that this was a crucial skill that would help inmates face job interviews that jail authorities organize for those being released from prison. In the last two years, Teach India has conducted classes in Jail No. 3, 4, 5, 6 (women's jail) and 7 (adolescents' jail). The training has boosted the confidence of inmates facing interviews and a life outside prison. Badal Firozi, for one, could not speak in English when he came to Tihar in 2008, but now says he talks to fellow inmates only in the Queen's language. Undertrial Nadeem Khan says he's read The Alchemist and has taken to quoting Paulo Coelho when talking to fellow inmates. “I had no hope for my future,“ says Khan, but now, “I'm not afraid of the future. Teach India's classes have helped me prepare to land a job.“ Khan practises his newfound skill by interacting with foreign inmates. He says, “They ask, `Are you calling us for your English practice sessions?'“ Firozi, studying tourism, gives Khaled Hosseini's books a thumbs-up. The aspiring tourist guide says Teach India has been a `con fidence-capsule', that made him confident of acing interviews. “I've practised in our `role play' classes a lot. I can face any job interview,“ he says. Another inmate, RJ Shehzad, says he never found English `easy' and is grateful that his teachers “made it an easy learning“.
“Just like other students,“ is how Teach India volunteer Noni Jolly describes her students at Tihar. She taught here in 2012 too. Sharing her experience, she said inmates are excited to learn English. “It is an interactive course: It's like learning and playing together,“ she said, adding inmates make for `involved learners'. Volunteer teacher Tamanna Tandon echoes the sentiment. They want to change their future by learning, said Tandon. “You don't know the people you're interacting with. But once we started talking, perceptions change,“ she said.
Tihar Jail DG Alok Kumar Verma is keen that the Teach India programme become an annual Tihar event.He finds student-inmates excited about the programme's benefits, calling it a personality-grooming module as well. “It's going to help them in placement. We took this opportunity to partner with Teach India that should be made part of our annual programmes list,“ said Verma.
Another project runs for Delhi Police, started with the aim of equipping police with verbal proficiency in English. The Teach India training is specially significant for those manning `100' Helpline and PCR calls. After the success of the pilot to train constables at Delhi Police HQ, Teach India moved on to train 419 probationary sub-inspectors at Delhi's Police Training College. Teach India has now been made mandatory in PSIs' course curriculum. The module's being expanded to train staff at local police stations across Delhi.
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING INSTITUTES (ITI)
DELHI POLICE CONSTABLES
DELHI POLICE CONSTABLES
IMPROVED EFFICIENCY
Constable Poonam Nagar hails from Dankur, UP & is posted at Hauz Khas police station. She deals with the women's helpline that requires her to register complaints daily. But lack of familiarity with English made it difficult for her to help callers effectively. She requested her seniors to enrol her in the Teach India programme that improved her spoken English and boosted her confidence, making her an effective communicator & allowing her to perform better
BETTER COMMUNICATOR
Constable Sandeep Kumar from Rewari, Haryana is posted at the Malviya Nagar police station. Despite having a Masters degree in English, he was not well-versed with the language -spoken or written. His training in the Teach India programme helped him improve his spoken English, allowing him to communicate effectively and fluently with his colleagues and superiors, and gave him the confidence he lacked
ACED INTERVIEWS
Commerce graduate from Delhi University, Neha Srivastava came to know about Teach India from the World Class Skill Centre, Vivek Vihar. She describes three months of the classes as a life-changing event that helped her become self assured. It helped Neha hone her fluency & communication skills. “I can express my thoughts with clarity now,“ she says. Neha aced job interviews and is working with a top retail chain
CONFIDENCE TO TALK
Astudent of ITI's World Class Skill Centre, Sargam held a professional degree, but dreaded a conversation in English with peers. The Teach India training helped him overcome the reluctance to speak and he has taken up a parttime job in an electronics retail chain. “I was uneasy about talking, but converse comfortably now,“ he says.
“Just like other students,“ is how Teach India volunteer Noni Jolly describes her students at Tihar. She taught here in 2012 too. Sharing her experience, she said inmates are excited to learn English. “It is an interactive course: It's like learning and playing together,“ she said, adding inmates make for `involved learners'. Volunteer teacher Tamanna Tandon echoes the sentiment. They want to change their future by learning, said Tandon. “You don't know the people you're interacting with. But once we started talking, perceptions change,“ she said.
Tihar Jail DG Alok Kumar Verma is keen that the Teach India programme become an annual Tihar event.He finds student-inmates excited about the programme's benefits, calling it a personality-grooming module as well. “It's going to help them in placement. We took this opportunity to partner with Teach India that should be made part of our annual programmes list,“ said Verma.
Another project runs for Delhi Police, started with the aim of equipping police with verbal proficiency in English. The Teach India training is specially significant for those manning `100' Helpline and PCR calls. After the success of the pilot to train constables at Delhi Police HQ, Teach India moved on to train 419 probationary sub-inspectors at Delhi's Police Training College. Teach India has now been made mandatory in PSIs' course curriculum. The module's being expanded to train staff at local police stations across Delhi.
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING INSTITUTES (ITI)
DELHI POLICE CONSTABLES
DELHI POLICE CONSTABLES
IMPROVED EFFICIENCY
Constable Poonam Nagar hails from Dankur, UP & is posted at Hauz Khas police station. She deals with the women's helpline that requires her to register complaints daily. But lack of familiarity with English made it difficult for her to help callers effectively. She requested her seniors to enrol her in the Teach India programme that improved her spoken English and boosted her confidence, making her an effective communicator & allowing her to perform better
BETTER COMMUNICATOR
Constable Sandeep Kumar from Rewari, Haryana is posted at the Malviya Nagar police station. Despite having a Masters degree in English, he was not well-versed with the language -spoken or written. His training in the Teach India programme helped him improve his spoken English, allowing him to communicate effectively and fluently with his colleagues and superiors, and gave him the confidence he lacked
ACED INTERVIEWS
Commerce graduate from Delhi University, Neha Srivastava came to know about Teach India from the World Class Skill Centre, Vivek Vihar. She describes three months of the classes as a life-changing event that helped her become self assured. It helped Neha hone her fluency & communication skills. “I can express my thoughts with clarity now,“ she says. Neha aced job interviews and is working with a top retail chain
CONFIDENCE TO TALK
Astudent of ITI's World Class Skill Centre, Sargam held a professional degree, but dreaded a conversation in English with peers. The Teach India training helped him overcome the reluctance to speak and he has taken up a parttime job in an electronics retail chain. “I was uneasy about talking, but converse comfortably now,“ he says.
