LIBA-INFORMATICS CENTRE
(A CSR initiative of LIBA)
Introduction
LIBA-Informatics Centre (LIBA-IC)
is a CSR initiative of LIBA bridging the digital divide and engaged in IT Education, Employability and Entrepreneurial
Skill development. LIBA-IC provides cost-effective computer education, training
and employable skills to the student community at large and needy, marginalised
and digitally underprivileged in the society. Courses at LIBA-IC are designed
to make participants’ computer savvy and employable. LIBA-IC also provides
training to Tiny & Small Scale entrepreneurs in entrepreneurial and
technology enabled skills.
LIBA,
as an institute which wants to emphasize importance of CSR, shall facilitate LIBA-IC
to offer courses benefitting under privileged in acquiring relevant skills.
LIBA shall waive fees for the needy, particularly for refugees, youth / women
from poor families and tiny entrepreneurs. Faculty and students at LIBA will be
actively engaged in conducting courses and trainings as well as to tiny and
small scale entrepreneurs.
Informatics Centre started in 1990 trained over 25,000 persons on various
IT related and management skills. LIBA-IC has been revamping courses offered to
meet industry demands. Courses have flexible formats to suit various segments
and are affordable. The alumni of LIBA-IC is working in both formal and
informal sectors. LIBA-IC has a good pool of faculty drawn from Loyola Campus,
LIBA alumni and industry.
The LIBA-IC shall focus on blending cognitive,
non-cognitive, business / trade, finance and communication aspects.
Rationale
India is poised to reap
the benefit of unique demographic dividend, large number of work force in the
age group of 15 to 64 years, in 21st Century. With youthful
workforce, India is likely to emerge as a major supplier of skilled and
semi-skilled personnel in developing and developed countries between 2020 and
2050. Government of India, recognizing the skill gaps, has set an ambitious
target of skilling over 500 million persons by 2022.
The Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) focus on eliminating poverty, sharing prosperity,
encouraging participation, sustaining environment, fostering peace through just
and inclusive societies. This requires effective engagement of vulnerable
segments such as youth, women, informal workforce, refugees and internally
displaced including migrants.
Chennai is emerging as
one of the important destinations for economic migrants from rural areas in
Tamil Nadu, Eastern India and North Eastern States. Most of them require IT
enabled skills to find gainful employment. Particularly in knowledge economy,
such as in Chennai, the requirement is substantial. Therefore, skilling those belonging to Bottom half of
economic pyramid is essential from social and economic development.
LIBA-IC is uniquely placed, with 25 years of offering
courses in Informatics, to offer courses that impart employable skills to job
seekers and skill enhancement of tiny and small scale entrepreneurs.
Mission: To offer skill enhancement education for
youth, women and entrepreneurs for participating effectively in local economy
and elsewhere.
Objectives
Overall objective to offers courses that enhance skills
of underprivileged youth, women, migrants and refugees enabling them to
effectively participate in knowledge economy espousing values of continuously
updating pedagogy, curriculum, teaching and accompaniment
- To offer courses that improves employability of youth and women from under-privileged and marginalized segments
- To support tiny and small scale entrepreneurs in acquiring skills, preparing business plans, marketing, finance and other related aspects
- To impart skills to refugees which will help them to become self-supporting in India or elsewhere
- To assist economic migrants to acquire skills that enhance their income earning opportunities, entrepreneurship and participation in the local economy
- To continuously update pedagogy, curriculum, teaching, and accompaniment to make them relevant in changing times, needs of industry, opportunities in the market and societal outlook
- To collaborate with colleges, technical institutions, community colleges and schools for outreach
Activities
- Offer courses in IT, Management / Administration, Computerized, Accounting, Communication and Entrepreneurship
- Conduct fast track courses during summer vacations for 10th and 12th students and dropouts
- . Offer computers courses with convenient timings to college students
- Run special week-end courses for working executives and entrepreneurs
- Identify and introduce new courses that are currently in demand
- Facilitate faculty, students and mentors at LIBA to support tiny and small scale entrepreneurs
- Continuously update pedagogy, curriculum, teaching and accompaniment to meet the current and future needs of industry, market, and society
- Forge collaborations with industry, governments, and NGOs to facilitate increased enrollment from marginalized sections
