Nearly 2,300 multi-coloured New Year calendars, each page talking about the activities of a class with photos and graphics, packed in cartons, left for a school in Santhome recently. Meanwhile, a new batch of orders for table calendars, diaries and other stationery was getting ready at Salesian Institute of Graphic Arts (SIGA) Polytechnic College in Kilpauk. Working on these orders are students of the private diploma and polytechnic college, who get practical exposure right from the first semester. Although the Institute has been in existence for the last six decades, not many are aware that they take up various screen printing jobs for educational institutions and organisations.
“For students, it is a learning experience and for customers, it is subsidised rates,” says Father James Bernard, manager at the press. A few of the CSI schools were their regular clients, but with increasing competition from small scale units, SIGA is facing a challenge today.
Recently, nearly 60,000 notebooks were printed for some of the Don Bosco Schools. They also get orders for designing textbooks, notebooks, question papers, registers and magazines from the sister institutions. “SIGA is a Don Bosco institution and it trains the poor students pursuing the programme, many of whom are from villages. By getting new orders we make them job ready,” says the Father. There are nearly 400 students studying at the campus and the college has been seeing a good placement record.
Many students agree that learning through practical exposure is the best was possible. Prathick J, a native of Melpudupakkam in Vellore, takes samples of his work home. “I like to get feedback and to show my friends in the village what I am learning,” says Prathick, third year student of diploma in printing technology.