Vocational Training Unit
The Vocational Training Unit is a joint undertaking of V-Excel Educational Trust and Esvi Sarada Foundation. Incepted in 2006, the VTU has today made a mark as one of the reputed Centres of its kind in the City. Presently, it has on its rolls 19 differently-abled young adults between ages 16 to 22 who are trained by seven staff and six volunteers. The goal of this unit is to lead these young adults to the threshold of dignified living.

The programs at the VTU include a variety of activities which are aimed to help improve gross - and fine-motor abilities and, in the course, to enhance an understanding of life skills. The students are then steered towards specific training in two areas based on their aptitude and capabilities. These vocational skill areas presently include computers, screen printing, front-office training, papercup and paperbag making, tailoring, baking, cooking, photocopying, and craft work.
We also have a small outlet "Samarth", where the products of the training programme are exhibited and available for sale. This also provides our students with hands-on training in salesmanship and money-handling. Practical exposure to daily life situations, and varied environments makes them more confident and capable. Interaction and exposure to resource persons from various civic agencies like the St. John’s Ambulance, the Fire Service Department, and the Traffic Police Department brings an insight into the mechanisms of society.
Success Stories
One of our trainees, Ashwin, has now been placed with a private Desktop publisher and a second trainee has started her apprenticeship with a unit offering Alternate Therapy.
We continue to actively monitor that Ashwin :
- gets to the correct place of work
- fits into the job profile
- is able to sustain his efforts at work,.
- is happy doing at what he is doing and that the employer is happy with him
- his family is happy
- We are always available as primary contacts
Academics
As a part of V-Excel’s curriculum we teach our students different methods to induce academics. The aim of this method is to make them deal and understand their surroundings. They are first taught to read, write (if possible) and also in Roto method to recognize their name, address, telephone numbers which are essential for their daily lives. Then follows functional words and number concepts which form the basis for introducing concepts of money, colours, names of vegetables, fruits and commodities. Some students are taught to use calculators. Functional words help students on outings and in social situations.