• The Community College is an alternative system of education, which is aimed at the empowerment of the disadvantaged and the underprivileged (urban poor, rural poor, tribal poor and women) through appropriate skills development leading to gainful employment in collaboration with the local industry and the community and achieve skills for employment and self-employability of the above sections of people in the society.
• The Community College is an innovative educational alternative that is rooted in the community providing holistic education and eligibility for employment to the disadvantaged.
• The Vision of the Community College is to be of the Community, for the Community and by the Community and to produce responsible citizens.
• The Community College promotes job oriented, work related, skill - based and life coping education.
• The Community College initiative is in conformity with the Indian political will that prioritises in education, primary education, information technology education and vocational education.
• The key words of the Community College system are access, flexibility in curriculum and teaching methodology, cost effectiveness and equal opportunity in collaboration with industrial, commercial and service sectors of the local area and responding to the social needs and issues of the local community, internship and job placement within the local area, promotion of self employment and small business development, declaration of competence and eligibility for employment.

V. Background of the Project Area of Shishu Mandir

The project area comes under the Krishnarajpuram Municipal Corporation, which has a population of 187.400 people in 38.055 houses. It is a centre of small-scale industries and is a fast developing area with more small-scale industries sprouting up and offering employment for skilled and trained personnel.
A vocational training centre would be one of the interventional means to respond to the up-coming needs of the people in this area. The Shishu Mandir Vocational Training Centre, whose construction has just been started, will cater to the needs of the target group of 12 villages and 3 slums around SMEC.

Aim
To equip the disadvantaged. unschooled. school drop-out boys and girls to become employable.

Objectives

1. To develop job skills
2. To improve their attitudes, general abilities and their communication skills so that they attain and sustain a job
3. To provide opportunities for them to visit industries and to get practical training
4. To assist them with employment information for job placements and with subsequent follow-ups
5. To qualify them to write exams for obtaining government recognized certificates
6. To motivate trainees to become self-employed and to follow up their progres.

Envisaged Plan for Project Execution

1. The Shishu Mandir Vocational Training Centre will prepare a syllabus for all the trades with the help of other institutions like Community Colleges.
2. The course duration will be for one year consisting of 215 working days (5 days in a week - 6 hours a day) for theory and practical classes at the Training Centre. The students would be sent to relevant industries and workshops for field placement on Saturdays till they complete the course.
3. Functional literacy and numerology will be provided for unschooled students and those who have not completed the 7th std.
4. Classes for spoken English will be organized for all the courses and special training in English will be given to those who are in Computer Courses and Electronics.
5. Group sessions on life skills will be provided to all the students with a well-designed syllabus by a qualified person. develop their personality.
6. Exposure visits to industries and other training centres will be organized regularly.
7. The Coordinator of the project who will also be the Public Relations Officer. will place the students after the completion of the course as apprentices for 3 months in companies and workshops and arrange for stipends from the employer.
8. Parents' meetings will be conducted once in four months to brief them about the progress of their children.
9. A Past Pupil Association will be formed to enable them to come together once in six months to share their life experiences.
10. For writing the exams the students will be enrolled in the National Institute of Open Schooling of the Government of India through an accredited institution in Bangalore.
11. Shishu Mandir will work towards getting its own accredited status for the training centre from the National Institute of Open Schooling.
12. Weekly staff meetings will be organized to plan and execute the day-to-day activities of the training centre.