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Hyderabad Vocational School
Hyderabad Vocational School
Sound training for future employment in the agriculture
Not all young people have the same advantages when starting work. And in some cases, protection from child labor unfortunately also comes too late. Part of the “Learning for Life” concept of Bayer CropScience is to help disadvantaged or underprivileged youngsters in rural areas through solid training for future employment in agriculture. To this end, at the beginning of 2008, the company collaborated with Indian non-governmental organization Vignana Jyothi to establish a special vocational school near Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, as part of the Bayer CropScience Child Care Program. Preferential status for enrollment is given to young people who have worked as child laborers in the past.
Practical preparation for a professional career
The NGO Vignana Jyothi provides the infrastructure, hires the teaching staff and handles the daily operation of the school. Bayer CropScience supports the facility financially and promotes the further development of the curriculum through its agricultural expertise, for example through guest presentations. From 2008 to January 2010, two one-year courses were financed by Bayer CropScience to provide 30 young people in each course with practical training for a professional career in agriculture. The training and board for the students are free of charge, and after completing the program they receive assistance in their job search.
The classes aim to provide the students with knowledge and skills that will later enable them to earn a living with a regular job in this sector. Training focuses on seed production techniques and the principles of integrated crop protection. The content of the curriculum so far has been taught in three trimesters and includes coverage of basic subjects. For example, an introduction to agriculture is provided, and plant diseases and their appearance in the fields are also tackled. A basic knowledge of business administration including agricultural marketing is also part of the curriculum, as are effective communication and enhanced awareness for teamwork.
Well-trained professionals at the grass roots level
Two years after the project was launched, the results have been consistently positive. “The skills taught at our facility are very useful in the rapidly evolving environment of modern agriculture. There is high demand for well-trained staff at the grass roots level, and the graduates of the Bayer-Ramanaidu Vignana Jyothi School of Agriculture meet the requirements very well. The one-year course in basic knowledge of modern agriculture does not just provide disadvantaged young people with the opportunity to find a means of existence, it also gives many career opportunities,” said Jens Hartman, Bayer CropScience country head India, at the graduation ceremony for the second class on February 4, 2010. He considers the course to be an excellent contribution to Indian agriculture and the seed industry.
Beginning with the 2010 school year, the results of two years of practical experience will be used to further optimize the curriculum: “We have decided to turn the one-year course into a half-year intensive course,” says Dr. D. N. Rao, General Secretary of Vignana Jyothi. “This will enable us to give training opportunities to twice as many young people, namely 60 rather than 30 per year,” adds Dr. Uwe Brekau, who is responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility at Bayer CropScience. “The curriculum will be adopted from the previous one-year course in a streamlined and even more practice-oriented form.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me. The course is very practice-oriented and I have already received several job offers,” says Kancharla Kavya, a student from the 2009 class at the Bayer-RVJ School of Agriculture, at the graduation ceremony on February 4, 2010.
Students from the second year group with course completion certificates from the Bayer-RVJ School of Agriculture
February 4, 2010 in Medak, Andhra Pradesh: Dignitaries in 2nd row (from left to right): Dr. Arjun Rao, Director, Bayer-RVJ School of Agriculture, Ms. Krishna Narayan, Manager Special Projects, Bayer BioScience, Ms. UVL Ananda, Corporate Communications and Media Relations, Bayer CopScience India, Mr. Christian Hartel, Corporate Policy and Media Relations, Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Dr. D N Rao, General Secretary, Vignana Jyothi, Mr. Suhas R Joshi, Head, Child Care Programme, Mr. C V Rao, Chief Administrator, Vignana Jyothi, and Dr. Kode Satyanarayan, Chairman, Advisory Committee, Bayer- RVJ School of Agriculture.
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After signing the agreement:: Prof. Dr. h.c. Friedrich Berschauer (l.) and Dr. D. N. Rao, General Secretary of Vignana Jyothi. |
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The first graduating class of the Bayer-RVJ School of Agriculture receiving course completion certificates. |
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The NGO Vignana Jyothi provides the infrastructure, hires the teaching staff and handles the daily operation of the school. Bayer CropScience supports the facility financially and promotes the further development of the curriculum through its agricultural expertise, for example through guest presentations. From 2008 to January 2010, two one-year courses were financed by Bayer CropScience to provide 30 young people in each course with practical training for a professional career in agriculture. The training and board for the students are free of charge, and after completing the program they receive assistance in their job search.
The classes aim to provide the students with knowledge and skills that will later enable them to earn a living with a regular job in this sector. Training focuses on seed production techniques and the principles of integrated crop protection. The content of the curriculum so far has been taught in three trimesters and includes coverage of basic subjects. For example, an introduction to agriculture is provided, and plant diseases and their appearance in the fields are also tackled. A basic knowledge of business administration including agricultural marketing is also part of the curriculum, as are effective communication and enhanced awareness for teamwork.
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Presenting a new schoolbook on seed technologyFrom left to right: Giddaluri Pakireddy (book author); Dr. K.N.Rao, former Director of the RVJ-Bayer School of Agricultur; Satyajeet Subramanian, Manager-Projects Child Care Program; Dr. Uwe Brekau, Global CSR Manager Bayer CropScience. |
Two years after the project was launched, the results have been consistently positive. “The skills taught at our facility are very useful in the rapidly evolving environment of modern agriculture. There is high demand for well-trained staff at the grass roots level, and the graduates of the Bayer-Ramanaidu Vignana Jyothi School of Agriculture meet the requirements very well. The one-year course in basic knowledge of modern agriculture does not just provide disadvantaged young people with the opportunity to find a means of existence, it also gives many career opportunities,” said Jens Hartman, Bayer CropScience country head India, at the graduation ceremony for the second class on February 4, 2010. He considers the course to be an excellent contribution to Indian agriculture and the seed industry.
Beginning with the 2010 school year, the results of two years of practical experience will be used to further optimize the curriculum: “We have decided to turn the one-year course into a half-year intensive course,” says Dr. D. N. Rao, General Secretary of Vignana Jyothi. “This will enable us to give training opportunities to twice as many young people, namely 60 rather than 30 per year,” adds Dr. Uwe Brekau, who is responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility at Bayer CropScience. “The curriculum will be adopted from the previous one-year course in a streamlined and even more practice-oriented form.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me. The course is very practice-oriented and I have already received several job offers,” says Kancharla Kavya, a student from the 2009 class at the Bayer-RVJ School of Agriculture, at the graduation ceremony on February 4, 2010.
Students from the second year group with course completion certificates from the Bayer-RVJ School of Agriculture
February 4, 2010 in Medak, Andhra Pradesh: Dignitaries in 2nd row (from left to right): Dr. Arjun Rao, Director, Bayer-RVJ School of Agriculture, Ms. Krishna Narayan, Manager Special Projects, Bayer BioScience, Ms. UVL Ananda, Corporate Communications and Media Relations, Bayer CopScience India, Mr. Christian Hartel, Corporate Policy and Media Relations, Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Dr. D N Rao, General Secretary, Vignana Jyothi, Mr. Suhas R Joshi, Head, Child Care Programme, Mr. C V Rao, Chief Administrator, Vignana Jyothi, and Dr. Kode Satyanarayan, Chairman, Advisory Committee, Bayer- RVJ School of Agriculture.
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[ last update: Friday, June 11, 2010 ]
