Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has many projects under its umbrella. One such small but vastly diffused in social supporting projects done under Youth Empowerment Support (YES) of Department of Home, CTA is Tibetan Career Centre (TCC).
TCC is initiated in collaboration with CTA and TechnoServe, a non-profit global economic development organisation in 2012-2013. It is located at the old Tibetan Reception Centre in Mcleod Ganj. The Tibetan Career Centre is a USAID supported initiative for the economic development of Tibetan settlements.
This project came up after research study carried out by Technoserve in 23 Tibetan settlements in India which found that 60% of Tibetan youths are either seasonally unemployed or unemployed. It was seen as a grave problem which needs to be taken with great concern and addressed accordingly as it’s not only an individual and family problem but also deteriorates the social and economic condition of the community and causes an identity crisis.
Currently, the centre performs three key programs consisting of Counselling and Placement Cell, Computer Training, and Hair Dressing Training.
Career counselling is provided to unemployed Tibetan youth, school and college going students and in addition to that parental counselling is also provided to the parents in the Tibetan settlement. The TCC also disseminates information about the various job opportunities available in the Tibetan community and in the market through which the job aspirant is connected to prospective employers.
Since 2014 till January 2018, 2156 individuals have been beneficiaries of the community outreach program.
The 3-month introductory Jawed Habib certified Hairdressing training program is part of a larger initiative of the Tibetan Career Centre to reduce unemployment among young Tibetans in exile. The certification is done under the Jawed Habib Foundation.
TCC has 175 students programmed under hairdressing training from 2014 till January 2018.
Computer training to the students under the certification of Institute for Advanced Computer Technology (IACT) where Diploma in Web Designing, Indesign, Basic Computer course, Tally accounting program and a certificate in Photoshop are being taught. Basic English/Tibetan Typing and Basic computer fundamentals are exclusively taught to the trainees who don’t have the minimum requirement to avail the certification from the IACT since its minimum requirement is VIIIth standard thus this training is helpful especially to the newly arrived Tibetans from Tibet and those who doesn’t have the minimum required educational qualifications. Apart from the regular computer courses and training, various workshops and seminars are being conducted to the trainees.
TCC has trained 716 Tibetan youth from 2014 till January 2018
The numbers are still increasing yearly and it seems that TCC has been playing a pivotal role in the life of unemployed and underemployed Tibetan youth in exile.
Apart from above program, TCC has other short-term programs such as; employability skills workshop on conflict resolution, effective resume writing and interview skills, personality development and English communication class for hairdressing student, photography, film editing, cybersecurity, makeup, and women empowerment.
There are many success stories after completion of a program from TCC.