Women get training in welding

Mangaluru: The Rani Chennamma Women Welder Training Programme, a 45-day initiative launched at NMAM Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), is breaking barriers by empowering women in the traditionally male-dominated field of welding. The free training programme is designed exclusively to enhance women's skills, providing new opportunities in the industry.
Named after the legendary warrior queen, the initiative marks a significant step towards building a skilled female workforce. Praj GenX Limited, Padubidri, a subsidiary of Praj Industries Limited, dealing with the energy transition and climate action sector, initiated this training for their newly appointed women's workforce, ‘Rani Chennamma.' The programme was inaugurated on Thursday at the NMAMIT-Fronius Centre for Welding Technology.
The programme, specifically designed for 25 newly recruited women welders from Praj GenX, is probably a first-of-its kind initiative in Mangaluru and Karnataka, said Vijesh V, associate professor at NMAMIT's department of mechanical engineering.
"Praj GenX conceptualized the idea of hiring women welders and selected the participants as interns. Upon completing the training, all participants will be hired by Praj GenX," said Vijesh, and stressed the growing opportunities for women welders in the modern industry.
Prajwal Shetty, senior manager, admin and liasoning at Praj GenX, said that women welders can bring fresh perspectives and break gender barriers, revolutionizing the skilled workforce. Abbay Pai, regional manager of Fronius India Private Limited, said, "This kind of initiative will lead to significant societal transformation, paving the way for greater gender equality in skilled labour sectors."
Niranjan N Chiplunkar, principal, NMAMIT, said that the initiative promotes gender diversity and skill development in technical fields.