WBSU plans skill development training for its students

Kolkata: In a stride to wards ensuring employability for its students, the West Bengal State University will soon write to the state Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) department to arrange skill development training for its students.

The decision of the university comes in the wake of University Grants Commission prodding the varsities to introduce choice based credit system (CBCS) with an intertwining of some sort of skill enhancement in the existing subjects.

"A large section of students studying in the colleges affiliated to this university are first generation learners.

They are often forced to shun their studies midway for supporting their families for eking out a living. If we can introduce skill development courses like plumbing,

electrical wiring, basic nursing, compounding etc in coordination with the MSME department and link them with the academic subjects that are taught, they

will have the urge to continue their studies and when they have their degrees, their chances of employability will be much higher," said Basab Chaudhuri, vice chancellor of WBSU.

It may be mentioned that WBSU presently has as many as 46 colleges in North 24-Paraganas affiliated to it. In East Calcutta, Girl's College in Lake Town, which is situated in the city itself, 20 percent of students are fast generation learners while in colleges at Bongaon and Basirhat,

the percentage of such learners is nearly 70 percent. It may be mentioned that principals of

two colleges have already written to Chaudhuri seeking some sort of relaxation for having a large number of first generation learners.

The university is also in the process of compiling data on the total

number of first generation learners studying in its affiliated colleges.

"We are in the process of introducing a course in Human Development.

This course is very much in demand among women as it helps them in pursuing counseling as a career option," Chaudhuri said.

The modalities for the course are being worked upon and will soon be sent to the state Higher Education department for its approval.

WBSU has 30 departments with 1.5 lakh students pursuing various courses in the university.