Workshop for VHSE Teachers & other training classes

In partnership with the Government of Kerala, KMPA has been conducting the highly-successful Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP), for the past eight years under the efficient hands of Unnikrishnan Adavakate, Education Coordinator, KMPA. The second ASAP workshop – Future Challenges in Print Education in India – was conducted for the Vocational Higher Secondary Education (VHSE) teachers. Around 14 participants from all over Kerala were in the workshop. The class was an initiative of Kulakkada Pradeep, CEO, Future Schoolz.

The 7th batch of ASAP was held. The final assessment of the three batches at Chavakkad, Calicut Medical College Campus, and Pala, was conducted in the presence of the external examiner Deepu P, Assistant Professor, HoD (Printing Technology) from Calicut University Institute of Engineering and Technology (CUIET), and the Vocational Higher Secondary Education.

The National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT), conducts practical classes in nine presses for five days and theory classes every Saturday at the KMPA hall at Kaloor, Kochi. Classes on press and post-press were taken by Mr. Unnikrishnan, while freelance technician Sajith took lectures on the pre-press requirements. Classes on basic English literature and other pre-press subjects were taken by veterans in the print industry, including G. Venugopal of Sterling Print House (P) Ltd., Anoop Venugopalan of Anaswara Offset (P) Ltd., Raju N. Kutty and Sanil M. V. of Purandara Laser Technologies (P) Ltd., Rajeev and Deekshith of Technova Imaging Systems (P) Ltd., Manmohan Shenoy of Vidya Offset Printers, Joji of Zenith, Kulakkada Pardeep of Future Schoolz, Rajan of Business Screen, Kurias N. Chacko from Viani Printings, and G. Rajesh of Rajsree Industrial Printer.

Not only the education and training, but placement is also given its due importance for the total completion of the course. Two boys from the last batch of ASAP, from the Chavakad press batch, got their placements in one of our member’s press, immediately after completion of the course, with their performance being evaluated as more than satisfactory.

KMPA has also given placement to 14 students at six presses, as per the request of the Principal, Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Idukki. After the exam in July they are expected to join by the middle of August. Initially inducted as trainees, they will later be permanently employed as per their performances.