Kerala to instil entrepreneurial skills among students in state

James Paul
10 December 2003

Kochi: In a move that is seen as the first in India, the Kerala state government is tying up with schools and colleges to instil entrepreneurial skills among students even before they step out of classrooms.

Kerala Institute of Entrepreneurial Development (KIED), in association with Kitco, an industrial technology consultancy, is in the process of setting up entrepreneurship development clubs in educational institutions across the state.

"Our target is to have clubs in at least 100 institutions this year," says V Sivaraman, principal of the year-old KIED. In Ernakulam district, some of the institutions where these clubs have been established include the Rajagiri, Darul Uloom Vocational School, SRV School, and St Peter's School, Kolenchery. "These clubs will attempt at tuning the mindset of the students to become job generators, a shift from the present trend of seeking employment," Sivaraman says.

"Unemployment levels in Kerala are high, with few job generating avenues here. At the same time, the government jobs are no longer attractive enough, and the security in private firms is low. At such a time, the most viable alternative is to get self-employed and perhaps, even create jobs for others," he says.

"Our club will hold regular activities such as organising interactive sessions with successful entrepreneurs, holding debates and seminars and organising visits to industrial units," says Shaniba P H, coordinator of the project at the Darul Uloom School.

Adds Nobin Thomas, coordinator on the Rajagiri campus: "Each club is given a financial assistance of Rs 12,000 by KIED to start out. Our job is to develop skills in students that will help them to start out in life once they leave college. We have also had talks with the Kerala Management Association and TiE for helping with resources."