IIIT, Sri City, SPMVV to work on skill development for rural women

Tirupati: In partnership with Sri City, Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV), Tirupati and IIIT-Sri City to take up specific skill development programmes for empowering rural women for jobs and entrepreneurship. IIIT Director Prof Kannabhiran, SPMVV Vice Chancellor Prof Duvvuru

Jamuna, Registrar Dr Mamatha and Sri City Founding Managing Director Dr Ravindra Sannareddy on Thursday met in Sri City for preliminary discussions on project implementation and other modalities to be completed for the execution of much beneficial project. Sri City would provide all aid and support for this project, which is funded by the American Embassy, New Delhi. To begin with eight villages, close to Sri City will be covered under the project and more villages will be added later. Officials from the university indicated that they are surveying those

villages to learn more about the women who require training. According to the women's interests, skill development programmes will be organised in the villages. After the survey, which is underway, the project will be formally launched shortly. Welcoming the project, Ravindra Sannareddy said the innovative project is being structured to benefit women and pledged full support, noting that Sri City is known as the 'Sthree City' since women make up more than half of the employees working in the enterprises in Sri City.

He commended the varsity representatives for making the effort. Reddy took the occasion to give a presentation on how Sri City had transformed the economic face of the entire region, which was previously very backward. Sri City's impact on the region, he says, manifests in education, employment and overall socio-economic development. "Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme aims

to comprehensively develop the neighbourhoods, focusing on improving vital social parameters like access to quality education, better health services, social infrastructure, livelihood options and so on," he added. After the discussions, the university representatives visited some of the industries in Sri City including Everton Tea factory, where 90 percent of the staff are rural women. The visiting team quizzed on the skill development training being provided to the workers.