Introduction:

Vocational training plays a crucial role in the social and economic development of every country. Vocational training involves teaching people to acquire a particular skill meant to prepare them for a particular occupation.

Employment is an important ingredient for combating poverty and achieving inclusion for all persons, including persons with disabilities (PWD). Employment increases self-sufficiency, social connectedness and creates a sense of self worth and dignity for individuals.

For persons with disabilities, employment is considered a vital step towards their rehabilitation and empowerment in that it provides a sense of belonging, independence, and increases their social inclusion and overall well-being.

Although persons with disabilities can perform virtually every job, and with the enabling environment and support services, majority of persons with disabilities can be as productive as persons without disabilities, there are limited employment opportunities for them.

Since 1989 Social & Vocational Rehabilitation section started functioning under the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine & Surgery for providing Socio-Vocational Rehabilitation services to Persons with Disabilities and Teaching activities to degree students of PT, OT & PO.

Staff strength of the Department:

Objective:

• Act as a centre for developing vocational training module for Divyangjans.
• Aims at inducing self-confidence, self care activities and creating awareness about their   residual abilities, worthiness & usefulness.
• Provide training opportunities to develop skills & knowledge so as to enhance the scope of employability.
• Encourage for self-employment/ wage employment.
• Guide about placement services.
• Provide supportive services such as counseling & guidance to develop desirable personality.
• Create awareness and sense of responsibility in the employers & community for rehabilitation of Divyangjans.
• Providing vocational training for disabled male and female youth, providing assistive devices for them trade tools for self employment and referring them for open employments.

Skill Development Training to Divyangjan: 

Ongoing Trainings:-

1. Automotive Service Technicians
2. Hand Embroidery
3. NGO Partnership for Skill Training/ Self Employment/ Sheltered Workshop

Service & Activities:

1. Socio- Economic assessment of persons with Locomotor Disability and family.
2. Arrangements/ Linkage for social, educational, vocational, recreational services including training, self employment, placement, promotion of SHGs of PWDs etc.
3. Public awareness, education, training & orientation at various operational levels, conferences & workshops etc.
4. Conduct/ participate training & teaching programmes for professionals as well as Persons With Disabilities and their families.
5. Liaison with NGOs/GOs for implementation of programmes/schemes for the total rehabilitation of the disabled persons i.e. for Education, Vocational Training, Self employment and Placement, Referral & Extension services.

Vocational Training Programme (VTP):

• Rehabilitation programme for the Persons with Disabilities would not be successful unless the disabled person is made economically independent and socially accepted. Vocational Training Programme was started functioning in a small unit at CRC, Rajnandgaon in 2018 without any infrastructure.
• This was designed with a view to provide Vocational trainings in different trades to the disabled persons who were under treatment & unemployed as they could readjust to new environment both socially and economically.
• Under Ministry of Social justice & Empowerment (MSJ&E) & National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) Under Ministry of Skill Development And Entrepreneurship (MSD&E), Department of Vocational has initiated efforts for imparting many more need based and viable trainings along with economic sustainability to empower the Persons with Disabilities through improved skills, knowledge for gainful employment and decent living.

Eligibility of Vocational Training:

Conditions of eligibility of trainees as follows;

1. Citizen of India
2. The percentage Disability is not less than 40%.
3. The age of the trainee is greater than 15 and less than 59.
4. The applicant has not undergone any training with in last 2 years for same trade.