Gujarat Chief Minister’s Ten Point Program for tribal development seeks to enable the tribal regions to accelerate their developmental process such as to enable their entrance into the main stream development leaving no gap between the developing and the most developed regions. Today, rising unemployment is taking a heavy toll among tribal youth than ever before. They have become a vulnerable group in the job market as they do not have skill oriented qualification which suits the industries. This is a phenomenon, posing a challenge to most of the tribal youth to find solutions.

To overcome this problem Vivekanand Institute of Vocational & Entrepreneurial Competence, known as ‘VIVEC’ is being established at Village Paldi in Waghodia, Vadodara, with a sprawling campus and state-of-the-art workshops, laboratories and other infrastructure facilities including accommodation for about 400 trainees. The institute is being set up by Shroffs Foundation Trust in Public Private Partnership mode with D-SAG, Tribal Development Department, Government of Gujarat and GIZ IS which is the technical partner. The proposed VTC will train about 9000 tribal youths over a project period of 7 years.

The purpose is to provide employment oriented skill training to the tribal youth and in the process facilitate rural poverty alleviation and bring qualitative change in their lives. With a vision to become a model vocational training centre, it aims to provide high quality training and related services in technological areas, aimed at improving employability.

A range of long, medium and short term courses in various trades will be offered based on present needs of the industries. Not only that they will be customized for specific needs. Training in soft skills like English, communication, basic accounting, health & hygiene and attitude will be embedded across all the courses. The objectives are to offer flexible skill training program to fulfill needs of skilled manpower. In turn it will provide opportunity beyond traditional occupations and create placement opportunities in organized sector. Finally “Appropriate Technologies” will be transferred for over all development and to bring self sufficiency and self-reliance among the tribal youth.

VIVEC was launched on 17th January 2011, as part of the centenary celebration. Pilot courses for low end IT enabled Services (ITeS) and Data Entry Operator, have already started at the Kalali campus, with lodging and boarding facilities and provision for games and relaxation. Other courses like welding technician, agri services would be shortly introduced. 34 tribal youth have enrolled for six months Data Entry Operator course.