India's First 'Toilet College' Trains 3,200 Sanitation Workers

Around 3,200 sanitation workers have been trained in a year at what has been dubbed as the country's first 'toilet college' and secured placement under a private sector initiative. The 'Harpic World Toilet College' located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra is helping sanitation workers by uplifting their work quality, educating them about the hazards that they are exposed to and eliminating these inhuman practices.

The college, set up in August 2018, is run by British consumer goods major Reckitt Benckiser. "Since its launch, the college has successfully trained 3,200 sanitation workers and helped secure sustainable employment opportunities for 100 per cent of the candidates," Reckitt Benckiser said in a statement. The trained workers have secured jobs in reputed and recognised national and local organisations and companies.

The Harpic World Toilet College offers three hours of daily classes to each batch of 25-30 for five days a week. The classes for women are conducted in the afternoon (1-4pm), while for men in the evening (4-7pm), the company said.

"The trained sanitation workers are equipped with the right knowledge and skill, to further train others in the community and thereby create a favourable domino effect to thousands of sanitation workers and families," the company added.