Promoting Professionalism and Self-Employment in Home Science

Over the years, need based radical changes have been brought in the goals and objectives of the Home Science education for imparting culturally relevant and job oriented education for empowerment of women. But still this discipline is striving for a reputed professional status. The present study was planned to seek suggestions from the students regarding professional and self-employment orientation of Home Science Programme. The study was conducted on graduates and post graduates of College of Home Science, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana,who passed out during the academic sessions from 2011-2012 to 2013-2014. Questionnaire was mailed to all 207 students but response of 185 students was received. So, the sample size for the present study was 185 respondents which encompassed 92 B.Sc., 68 M.Sc. and 25 Ph.D. pass out from the college. The findings of the study suggested the need to introduce more self-employment courses, Home Science graduates also submitted the need to increase the duration of In plant training,for developing competencies and skills in the respective fields. Therefore, future strategies must be planned in a manner so that it will cater to the needs of educational and employment/self-employment requirements of a well identified group of clients.It should aim at producing professionals who can be job creators for themselves and for others.