Invest In Yourself As You Are Worth It All

Skill has no age barriers

Age is No Barrier to Skilling Up with ASAP Kerala

Age does not restrain you from investing in yourself. Whether it’s pursuing your ambitions, taking that one big trip to the mountains you’ve always wanted to, or learning a new skill. It is only thinking that makes you come up with reasons not to do things you really want, therefore be brave and go for it. At any point in life, the sense of accomplishment felt when we try something new is a refreshing one.

From its inception, ASAP Kerala has always been instrumental in providing skill development to a vast number of students across the state. Over the years, ASAP Kerala has spearheaded its skill development initiatives in the public sphere, irrespective of any gender and age barriers. Now, ASAP Kerala assisting the general public in obtaining the necessary skills to upgrade themselves. Over the years, ASAP Kerala has trained nearly 300,000 candidates in various skill courses and has enabled countless individuals to upskill, reskill, and reach their potential. The inspiring stories of its students are a testament to the program’s effectiveness.

One such story is that of Mr M Kailasanathan, a retired naval and SSC officer, he joined the Communicative English Trainer (CET) course at the age of 76t, an age which most people consider to be one that should be spent within the one’s house. With the vast professional experience gained from his time in the Indian Navy and the Air Traffic Control section in Oman, he returned to India to crack the SSC exam. He then served for 17 years in the Customs and Central Excise Department. Post-retirement, he engaged in various social and household activities and enjoyed his passion for biking. It was during this time that he came to know about ASAP Kerala and its skill development initiatives. With a degree in economics and a master’s in English, he decided to pursue the Communicative English Trainer (CET) course after reading about it in the newspaper, Mathrubhoomi. The CET course is a tailor-made programme for anyone who wants to improve their English communication with the additional skills that are on par with industry demands and eventually make them to be trainers. This course helps learners overcome their inhibitions, and communicate their ideas, thoughts, and feelings effectively. It is recognised as an NSQF level-5 course with NCVET certification.

One decisive aspect for Mr Kailasanathan about choosing this course is that ASAP Kerala does not have an age restriction for admission. Thanks to the efforts of Mr Gopakumar, Programme Manager of ASAP Kerala, and Ms Sreedevi, the master trainer at Lakkidi CSP for the CET course, Mr Kailasanathan was able to enrol for the CET course. The course helped him to improve his language skills and expand his network. He now feels confident that he can be of help to younger generations by training them.

Mr Kailasanathan’s message to students is clear; “Share your experience and skills with your colleagues and the younger generation, develop your learning and communication abilities, and always think positively.”

Just like Mr Kailasanathan’s inspiring story, we have another senior citizen who shares the same motive in life, that life doesn’t stop at any defined age. He is Mr Sekharadasan C.V, who has benefited from the ASAP Kerala program Digital Marketing.

With over 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, export, accounts, and administration, both in India and the UAE, he has always valued teamwork, planning, coordination, communication, and time management skills. He joined the Digital Marketing course offered by ASAP Kerala to upskill himself. During his school and college days, there were not many skill development n courses available, so he was a self-learner. However, he felt that there was always a lack of systematic learning from his side, which led him to take up the Digital Marketing course.

Mr Sekharadasan is all praise for ASAP Kerala. He firmly believes that ASAP Kerala is doing a wonderful job in Kerala with its bouquet of skill development courses. If utilised properly, the opportunities that come from the courses will uplift anyone who chooses to do an ASAP Kerala course. He thinks that skill development is a need of this century. As technology changes every day, courses like Digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning can bring significant improvements to job seekers’ lives. His message to others is that there should be no age limit for learning, and one should continue to learn as long as one’s mind and body allow. Sharing knowledge and skills with others is vital, and learning is only perfect when practised in one’s life and benefits others.

Regardless of age or background, ASAP Kerala has played a significant role in assisting people to develop useful skills throughout the state. Its CET and Digital Marketing courses are just two examples of the many offerings that have helped the citizens of the state as read in the stories of Mr Kailasanathan and Mr Sekharadasan to upskill and reskill themselves. These inspiring stories remind us that age should never be a barrier to personal and professional growth and we should always try to better ourselves by upskilling and reskilling as per the current trends.