Young women enrol for waste management course

BENGALURU: At least 900 girls from 45 colleges in the city will be part of one-year solid waste management course to encourage women entrepreneurs in the field of waste management.
Launched in Bengaluru recently, the programme will have city students participating with around 3,500 students across the country. Called the WeCon programme, the registered students will be taken through a series of capacity building programmes.

P Bineesha, executive director of International Institute of Waste Management that is guiding the programme along with participating colleges, says, "There will be online mentoring through portals, capacity building and training in specific topics of entrepreneurship, legal aspects, financial and technical aspects. As part of the need assessment, an online ‘Entrepreneurship Ability Assessment’ test was conducted for students. The results would be analysed, which would form the basis for the preparation of modules.”

The WeCon programme is a joint initiative with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and various accreditation organisations for educational institutions. This is part of the larger goals of government's Swachh Bharat, Women Empowerment and Skill Development and Start-up Stand-up India programmes.

Dr Anita Chaturvedi, professor of mathematics at Jain University, says,  “We will encourage them to enrol and get involved in the course in a phased manner." Other colleges whose students will be part of the course include Christ University, Acharaya Institute of Management and HKBK College of Engineering.   
As many as 20 students also have a chance to go to Germany for an exposure visit in waste management, under the German Consulate, Bengaluru.

Aims of the programme
Hand holding of women
students to promote
entrepreneurship
Address the waste
management issue by creating opportunities
Encourages students to adopt inclusive approach to engage with women from rural areas
Incubation opportunities within the campuses and existing CSR projects
Converge various existing programmes of AICTE