Essar Foundation, in technical partnership with Baxis Academy for Building Lifelong
Employability (B-Able), has initiated a training program to increase the employment
opportunities for the youth.
This skills training program would be the first livelihood initiative at the CBM Raniganj operation where demand for employment is high and needs to be addressed. The program trains youth for sectors such as retail sales and marketing, BPO and hospitality.
The target is to train 200 youth and develop their employability skills along with computer literacy and English speaking abilities. The candidates were selected after an interview and counseling session by B-Able. The minimum eligibility criterion was standard 10th pass. In the first batch, 50 candidates (including 13 girls) in the 18 to 25 age group from 15 villages were admitted.
Formal classes began on October 1 at B-Able’s Sanaka Educational Institution, Molandighi. Students will undergo three months of intensive training on the practical and theoretical aspects for 6 days in a week.
At the end of the first year of the project, 200 local youths will be trained and groomed for employment. Essar Foundation is providing 95 per cent of the course fees and the rest is borne by the student. The course is affiliated to the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
After completion of the training program, B-Able will support the candidate
with placement assistance in various companies like Big Bazar, KFC, Pantaloons
and Spencer. It will also assist them in getting jobs with BPOs/call centers
and hotel and restaurants. The placement for the first batch will start from
the third week of December.
The courses were selected after a survey that revealed demand for these market-driven
courses is high and hence livelihood opportunities are available. New courses
can be added and changes can be made to the existing courses, as per the emerging
needs.
The program has a student-centric curriculum which includes technical as well as a soft skills component. The latter includes language, grooming and enterprise skills.
B-Able has also launched a digital literacy program in partnership with Microsoft. This will be a part of the daily curriculum providing digital literacy and subsequently a Microsoft certification to each student.
There is also strong focus on developing appropriate vocational skills. For
example, the soft skill component includes basic language, communication, and
customer interface, grooming/personality development and hygiene, code of conduct
and work ethics and basic computer training.
The program ensures that the student is not only technically sound, but also has the confidence to face the employer and enter the job market.
