The project’s goal is to yearly train 100 children aged between 15 and 21 years in a trade. Many are former child workers and half of them are girls. The children are taught professional skills, marketing expertise and entrepreneurial skills. These skills will eventually bring better job opportunities which will improve the children’s social and economic statuses.
The children in this project come from poor communities and from socially marginalised parts of society. Families do not have the financial resources to help their children develop to their full potential. The children in this project are assigned to ‘Self help groups’. These are groups of women who contribute to the development of their communities. This includes setting up microcredit programmes, or fulfilling a watchdog role. The most disadvantaged children are reached through these women’s groups. SAVE has established 50 ‘Self help groups’ in Tirupur.
Some children in the vocational training centre come from other SAVE projects. There are children that followed
'bridge school' education before or children from the
Ecopark are old enough to follow a vocational training course.
The children in the vocational education centre learn a trade to become electricians, plumbers, computer or mobile phone technicians, for example. Before starting this project, SAVE carried out research into the employment demands in the region and has close contacts with industry. When the children complete their training SAVE will offer guidance in the search for a job by, for example, mediating between the graduate and an employer. It is expected that about 90% of the children will successfully complete their training and find a job.