Kozhikode: Until a year ago, Gopika’s world revolved around her native Wayanad. The 22-year-old, who hails from the Kurichiya tribal community, had never dreamt she would one day leave her village and work, that too, in an airport.
However, her life changed when the Scheduled Tribes Development Department (STDD) decided to start a training programme for youngsters hailing from tribal communities across the state to prepare them for jobs in the aviation sector.
Now, Gopika, who completed the course from an academy in Wayanad’s Kalpetta, has been placed at Kochi airport. Though away from family, she is content with her new job in a new city. And she has the STDD’s ‘Wings Project’ to thank.
As many as 90 students who were part of the first batch of one of the courses launched under the project in 2022 have secured placements in all four international airports in the state – Karipur, Kannur, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram – as well as outside.
An official with STDD said students can choose from two courses – a six-month airline and airport management course and a one-year airline customer service course. The 90 students are among the 100 who joined the six-month course.
“The overwhelming response we received the previous year when the course was launched has prompted us to go big this year,” said Krishna Prakash K, deputy director (Education), STDD.
“This year too, the response has been tremendous. The department is in the process of estimating the number of students expected to join the courses. The second batch of the courses will begin soon,” Krishna said.
Both the STDD and SC Development Department (SCDD) launched the project. While the STDD is conducting the course with the support of a private aviation institution, the SCDD is conducting it with the help of the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology (RAGAAT).
06/07/2023 Pooja Nair/New Indian Express
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