Skill Development of Students for Economic Empowerment

A study was conducted in College of Home Science, Department of Family Resource Management and Consumer Science organized skill development classes for the economic empowerment of the students. These classes are geared towards the needs of students in a particular context keeping in view their social needs, culture and geographic realities. The present study was carried out to enhance the economic empowerment of students of Kumarganj through skill development. A Total 124 respondents participated in the study. Primary data were collected through interview schedule. Results revealed that about 80 percent of the respondents improved their skills in functional and decorative crafts while 87 percent respondents contributed to family income. Following a skill development programme, 70% of respondents agreed that they had improved their leadership and communication skills. The findings indicated that organising students into self-help groups was a relevant strategy for empowering them, as poor students expressed a strong tendency to derive strength from being a member of the group. The intervention of Family Resource Management and consumer science had a positive impact on students' functional status. It was observed that there is a perfect fit between skills, resource available, technological options and marketing avenues.