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| Ambuja Cement Foundation, India: Creating gainful employment in rural areas |
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Project description While on the one hand the Indian economy has been booming, it is evident that this prosperity has not reached all levels of society. Already existing economic disparities are further compounded by unemployment, and more often underemployment in India. In rural India, lack of gainful employment often makes people migrate to urban habitats, which creates several other difficulties. It is evident today that there is a total mismatch between available jobs and skills needed to master these jobs. Ambuja Cement Foundation is trying to bridge this gap by establishing Skill Training Centres for gainful employability. |
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Objectives The aim of the project is to train young people on skills for which employment is available and to in turn ensure that available jobs are bagged by local people. It is also part of the project to teach young people entrepreneurial skills, to enable them to establish and be successful in self employment which would cater to their local markets. |
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Activities To establish the Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Institutes (SEDI), Ambuja Cement Foundation first developed a partnership with a local bank. This partnership ensured that while Ambuja focused on the types and quality of training programmes, the bank partner would facilitate easy loans as well as post training to young people to help them establish their small businesses. Several camps were held in rural clusters within a radius of 80 kilometres to motivate young people to opt for skill training courses that the SEDI would offer. The Institute, besides offering facilities for quality skill training, also provided dormitory accommodation for those who came from far-flung villages. The courses which last 3 to 6 months, are followed up by an apprenticeship opportunity in an appropriate existing set up. After completion of the training, those trainees keen to establish small business are facilitated to apply for and obtain a bank loan to get them started. Former trainees are accompanied both through written correspondence as well as through quarterly meetings organized for ex-students at the Institute. |
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Results In 2007, over 460 young people have been trained in two such centers. The courses, such as ‘Motor Cycle repairs’, ‘TV and Radio repairs’, ‘Mobile phone repairs’, ‘Household Electricals’, ‘Motor Winding’, ‘Security guard training’, ‘Hair Saloon and Beautician’, ‘Computer hardware and software’ etc, are becoming increasingly popular. Monitoring of former students has shown that over 70% of those who underwent training at our centres are now gainfully employed and contributing economically to their families. |
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