The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, AUG 26, 2021
Vedanta Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Vedanta Group, has announced the opening of 100 new livelihood-linked skill training centers across the country between August 15 and September 15.
The newly established centers, also known as Rojgar centers, will be in addition to its current 170 centres functional across India. Thirty seven such centres were opened this month.
Through its skill model, Vedanta Foundation intends to skill students and unemployed youth from the economically weaker sections and link them to job opportunities. With this intent, the Foundation is working closely with the industry to map possible employment opportunities in each of the Rojgaar centres. Some of the companies that have recruited candidates from the Rojgar centres include State Bank of India, Axis Bank, Paytm, Reliance, Godrej, Flipkart, Amazon, Genpact, LIC, among others.
“We launched our Vedanta Rojgar initiative in the year 2020 when the country was grappling with the first wave of the COVID virus. Millions of youths had lost their jobs. The state of migrant workers working in metropolises was particularly dismal. That’s when we laid the foundation of our pilot project Vedanta Rojgar,” said Suman Didwania, Trustee, Vedanta Foundation.
“Under this project, we provided skill development opportunities to unemployed youths and helped them secure jobs with reputed companies. Within a year, more than 7000 people have been benefited by the Rojgaar project and we hope that our project continues to help in mitigating the problem of unemployment in the growing India,” she added.
The Foundation has selected four reputed companies in the skilling domain to implement the project. These include Birla Edutech, Samhita Social Ventures, Quess Corp, and Centum Learning. Other than this, the Foundation is also planning to coordinate with Vedanta’s Business Units to explore the possibility of giving the trainees on-the-job training opportunities.
Furthermore, the Foundation has also started partnering with a few Sector Skill Councils (SSC) set up under Skill India ‘Kaushal Bharat-Kushal Bharat’ programme of Government of India to ensure better connect with the industry demands for better livelihood opportunities for the trainees. These include the Automotive SSC, Tourism and Hospitality SSC, Electronic SSC, and Telecom SSC.
Commenting on the program, Pushpita Chattopadhyay, Director – Academics and Special Projects, Birla Open Minds Education Pvt Ltd, said: “At the end of the day, the true value and intention of education is employment. One of the factors a country’s economy depends on is human capital. If you don’t provide youth with adequate access to skill-based education and employment, you lose at least half of your potential.”
Speaking on the Foundation’s program, Wasim Bharti, a beneficiary, said: “Vedanta Foundation is offering the course which is aligning with my goals, and I am looking forward to being employed with their placements. In times like COVID19, I would rather be at the frontline to work and help the ones in need on the ground.”
Another beneficiary, Rajkumar Kumawat, said: “My father worked under the sun throughout his life and wanted to make sure his sons wouldn’t suffer the same ordeal as he did. He wants me to work in an office and earn an honest living. I am thankful to the Vedanta Foundation for providing this learning opportunity to me. After finishing the Domestic Data Entry Operator course, I am looking forward to working towards my dreams and having a fulfilling life.”
The Foundation collaborates with social institutions like the Ramkrishna Mission, government agencies and NGOs, to set up training centers and to reach out to the unemployed youth.
Commenting on the project, Swami Nareshananda, Ramakrishna Mission, Manipur, said: “The Vedanta Foundation, in association with the Ramakrishna Mission, Imphal, is going to start its skill training cum placement scheme, the ‘Vedanta Rozgar’, with the aim to train the youths from underprivileged families, in Manipur, with employability skills in IT & Retail Sales and Digital Marketing.”
“I wish and hope that this scheme will be of great service in equipping the local youths with necessary skills and providing job opportunities, eventually enabling them to become self-reliant. I convey my prayers & best wishes to all involved for the grand success of this noble project,” he added.
