YCMOU to start course for BPO employees

NASHIK: The Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) would start a degree course for employees working in BPO by next year from its community college planned in Pune.
Manikrao Salunkhe, vice chancellor of the university, said the course is being planned to be made available from the academic year 2016. “The university has planned to start community college near Hinjewadi next year and the construction plan of the building has also been submitted to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC),” he said.
The college would be set up on over 2 acres owned by the civic body. The university has chosen to establish its first community college of the state in Pune because the college would get recognition and appreciation sooner compared to other locations in the state.
The vice chancellor said the university has identified some focus areas for the college. “It has been found that Pune being an IT hub, there are many youths who have proficiency in English join BPO. The majority of these youths join the industry after clearing Class XII examination,” he added.
He added that these youths do not have regular qualification that often causes frustration among them. Hence, the university plans to initiate a degree course to address the needs of these youths.
“Apart from IT, Pune also has many automobile industries and efforts are being made if any skill set can be provided for them. There is a demand of skilled employees in the market and industry, but there are no good teachers to create skilled workforce,” he said.
The university would start Training of Teachers (ToT) in the community college in collaboration with a private trust near the city, who would create trainers for skill development. The Lokmanya Public Charitable Trust has been successfully carrying out employability and entrepreneurship development of the workers of the unorganized sector at Paabal and Chikhalgaon and hence their assistance would be taken, the VC said.
He added that talks were on with British Council in Pune to train students in communicative English or functional English under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).