Dharamshala: - The Dharamshala Tibetan Career Centre (TCC), a joint initiative of TechnoServe and the CTA Home Department, inaugurated a Jawed-Habib certified hairdressing training course on 5 June at the College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah, about 30 minutes away from McLeodganj hill town.
According to the Central Tibetan Administration, the inauguration ceremony was attended by 37 students who have enrolled in the first class.
Special guests included legendary hair stylist Jawed Habib, TechnoServe representatives Ashwath Muralidharan and Runit Jhanwar, Dharamshala Tibetan Welfare Officer Sonam Dorjee, Finance Department Women's Desk representative Tenzin Tseyang, Principal of Sarah University Jampel Dakpa, and hairdressing class instructor and former Jawed Habib employee Karma Yongdue. The ceremony was presided over by Tenzin Dolker, the Career Consultant at Dharamshala TCC.
The training program is part of a larger initiative of the Tibetan Career Centre to reduce unemployment among young Tibetans in exile. To date, Tibetan Career Centres around India and Nepal have helped train well over 400 youth in valuable, job-relevant skills, and placed almost 200 youth in jobs.
The inaugural class of two batches commenced on May 20 and will end in late August, after which certified candidates will be eligible for high quality jobs in the hairstyling sector, including in Jawed Habib Salons across India.
Sharing her experience working at Jawed Habib salons across India, Karma Yongdue said that the skills Mr. Habib taught her enabled her to build a successful career and become economically independent. She expressed heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Habib for his many years of support and mentorship, as well as his generosity in supporting the first-ever hairdressing course specifically for Tibetan youth.
The keynote speaker, Mr. Jawed Habib, urged students to make the most of this opportunity. "You must look at this as more than just training. You should try and develop a passion for what you do. In this field if you work hard and are passionate, the sky is the limit."
