Two CSR programmes successfully imparting employability to youth

School dropouts tend to get into petty jobs with no employee benefits or guarantee. The dropout masses of India face challenges in finding decent jobs and building a career off them. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India has been imparting employability to youth not only in keeping with the Skill India Mission but also for reducing the rate of employment.

Imparting employability to youth

Two successful examples of imparting employability to youth are the flagship CSR programmes of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) and SRF Limited. After World Youth Skills Day 2020 yesterday, we show you how they designed the skill training CSR projects and achieved maximum impact.

1. DIAL CSR – Vocational Training

The GMR Group-led Delhi International Airport (DIAL) is a consortium comprising of GMR Group, Airports Authority of India and Fraport. DIAL CSR was initiated in 2006, when the GMR Group won the bid for the Airport. Today, the activities cover working communities neighbouring Indira Gandhi International airport and Savda Ghevra Resettlement Colony (where illegal encroachments from Airport land were rehabilitated).

The target population catered under the vocational training project is dropout youth in the age group of 18-30. The CSR project caters to the most deprived sections of the community. Due to the existing limitation of low educational qualification and lack of specific skill set, the unemployed youth, in search of livelihood work as daily labourers in the unorganized sector, with low pay and no rights. The skill enhancement programme ensures meaningful employment for the youth, with all advantages of the organized sector.

Centre for Empowerment and Livelihood Delhi (CEL-D) was established in September 2009 to provide market-relevant entry-level employability skills training for drop-out youth contributing to Skill India mission of the government. The training institute has created a niche for itself in excellent delivery of technical and soft skills. CEL-D is a residential vocational training centre with a capacity to train approximately 750 youth per year. The centre has a well-developed system for mobilization of youth, counselling, training on soft skills, placement and post placement support.

The institute is equipped with classrooms, working sheds, practical labs, conference hall, meeting rooms and residential facilities. It provides skill training in 10 different trades in collaboration with credible industry partners. Courses include Basic Electrical and house wiring, Basic Computer Course, Basic Welding & Fabrication, Basic Cargo Management, Refrigeration & AC Maintenance; Customer Service Associate, Excavator Operator, Facility Care & Management, SMART machine operators and Garment Quality Checkers. All the courses are being running in partnership with leading industries like, Volvo, Voltas, ATDC, VDMA, CELEBI.

Since inception, CEL-D has trained 3500 youth with 85% average placement rate. The courses require educational qualification from Std. V to graduates. The programme has its presence in the northern, eastern states of India and also some north-eastern states of the country. Since April 2013-March 2016, skill training has been imparted to 1993 trainees, amongst which 356 are from SC (scheduled castes), 56 ST (scheduled tribes) and the rest 1,581 trainees were from economically backward communities.

2. CSR of SRF – Rural Vocational Skills Programme

SRF Limited is a multi-business entity and one of the leading manufacturers of fluorochemicals, specialty chemicals, technical textiles and packaging flims, with 12 manufacturing plants in India, two in Thailand, one in South Africa and one in Hungary. SRF Foundation, the CSR arm of SRF Limited, is integrating school dropouts and unemployed youths between the age group of 18-35 years into the mainstream workforce by equipping them with appropriate skills.

For all the intervention programmes, SRF Foundation channelizes its resources in improving and mitigating the gaps by working collaboratively with government schools, headmasters, teachers, parents, students and agencies like IBM India (for Teachers Try Science), Coca-Cola (for Support My School), CARE India (for Udaan), Tetra Pak (for Support My School), HP India (for World on Wheels & Muskan – School Support Programme), Capgemini India (for School Adoption Project), Brillio (for Digital Based Learning), Sunrise Sports & PNB Housing Finance Ltd. (for Sports for Development), Schneider (for Basic Electrical Training Programme), Times Group (for Teach India programme), AIF (for Mission Recycle) and Sequoia (Remedial School).

Under its flagship Rural Vocational Skills Programme, numerous programmes are ensuring professional training as well as employment of the rural youth. The different interventions are as follows:

1) Basic Electrician Training Programme (BETP) – Operational since 2011 in 19 villages of Nuh, Mewat (Haryana) in collaboration with Schneider Electric India Foundation. The programme has now been scaled up to two more new intervention locations of Bhind (MP) and Gummidipoondi (Tamil Nadu). The programme has trained more than 600 youth in the electrician trade with a good mix of practical and theoretical knowledge and encourages them to become self-employed by imparting entrepreneurial capability too.

2) Spoken English – Making young boys and girls job ready for various sectors like Retail, Service, Finance, by imparting the ‘Spoken Aspect of English Language’ and preparing them for job interviews through a series of confidence-building modules. So far, more than 1350 students and youth have benefited from this programme.

3) JCB Operator and Forklift Training – The programme aims in equipping unemployed

youth from SC/ST category with right skills to operate, manage and do small maintenance work of Backhoe Loader and Forklift. The trainees are made aware of the various parts and components of the machines followed by practical classes. Till date, 288 people have been trained with 100% placement.

4) Office Automation and Computer Training – The programme focuses on training the SC/ST youth from Mewat, Manali and Viralimalai in the basic working of a computer, MS Office and optimum use of the internet. This CSR project has made 239 youth job-ready.

Imparting employability to youth in India works to our national advantage. Youth need skills so that they are able to participate equitably in Nation Building.