Rusemp Community College – Pakshikere
When Msgr. Edwin Pinto was the secretary of Canara Organization for Devt & Peace ® - the diocesan social work society, he wanted to start a non formal technical training school in 1982. It was a part of his Belthangady Package Programme. He needed a place in rural area. At that time his friend Rev. Stanislaus Pereira, the former Parish Priest of Pakshikere offered a three acre plot which was owned in his mother’s name. The plot is on Pakshikere- Panja road, near the church.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Lewis, the parish priest of Pakshikere consented to accommodate the initial batches in the parish hall in 1982. This was the beginning of RUSEMP (Rural self-employment programme). Later on RUSEMP had its own buildings in the land donated by Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Pereira.
The target group of RUSEMP has been the poor, school dropout and rural youth. They were trained in various village trades in short term batches. The goal of the institution was “Employment for all”.
The main training was in welding, carpentry, wood work, two wheeler repair, aluminium fabrication, motor winding, electrician and tailoring etc…. All trainings were not held in the campus. Some of them were trained on placement basis. Even now the training goes on. Many of the old trades are no more in demand.
When Rev. Fr. Basil Vas became the parish priest of Pakshikere, he was also the director of RUSEMP. He added a Computer centre to RUSEMP in 1998 to give Computer education to the local students. The computer centre was on the first floor of the church building which houses the Vijaya Bank. Fr. Louis Cutinha was the director of RUSEMP from 2005-2006 and from 2006 onwards Fr. Oswald Monteiro is the director of the institute.
From 2008, the institute is known as Rusemp Community College, which is registered as a VTP under SDI-MES of NCVT.
This institute has helped more than 2300 youth to come up in life. This excludes computer students and extension programmes candidates. About 44% of these are self employed and 48% are gainfully employed.