Vedanta Rojgar - Transforming Lives through Skill training

India is a powerhouse when it comes to the available workforce, as 50% of the country's population is below the age of 25. Though blessed with this natural resource, not every youth entering the workforce is employable. The students need 21st-century skills along with formal education to secure employment opportunities and earn a livelihood.

India's demographic dividend is an advantage that can transform India into a global skills hub. The skill gap has been considered by the National Education Policy (NEP) released in 2020 which recommends training students in vocational skills right from Class 6. It envisions a process where students are trained in job-ready skills, go through internships, and gain employment in the future. The youth of India is facing a roadblock both in achieving the degrees on paper that they want and the vocational skills that they need. Thus, there is a need to ensure that India's youth is supported in completing higher education and gaining the right skills to secure employment.

Vedanta Foundation runs under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation and has been empowering the less privileged since 1992. Established in line with the founding family's mission of giving back to society, Vedanta Foundation has constantly contributed to the making of a new India where access to education and livelihood is not a privilege, through its program Vedanta Shiksha and Vedanta Rojgar. Through Vedanta Rojgar, the Foundation aims to transform lives through employment-linked skill training in the community. It provides skill training through over 84 vocational training centers across India to equip youth with the necessary skills to become self-reliant. The skilling centers run computer literacy, financial literacy, and digital literacy courses aiding the youth to gain meaningful employment in the organized sector and increase their earning potential. To bridge the academic industry gap, course modules are designed as per the requirement of the industries. Vedanta Rojgar helps reduce poverty and create a more inclusive society by providing equal opportunities for all sections of society. Since its inception, the foundation has trained over 1.4 million youth across the Nation.

To date, the Foundation has partnered with many like-minded organizations such as Anudip Foundation, and NABARD and is closely working with the Government of India to get our courses certified by NSDC (National Skill Development Co-operation). One of the marquee projects of Vedanta Rojgar is the Vocational center run in association with NABARD at Lanjigarh which trains students in Food and beverage courses and sewing machine operation. As of now, this center has achieved 100% student placements. Looking back at the journey of the Vedanta Rojgar initiative, we are proud to be part of many success stories.

One of the success stories that keep us going is the story of the resilience and passion of Jaya Karande. Jaya Karande on completing her junior college joined the Vedanta Foundation vocational center at Mumbai. She completed the Tally course and was placed at Navbharat Archive Xpress as a data entry specialist. When Jaya started her professional career, she faced many challenges. Lack of communication skills was her biggest barrier to excelling at her workplace. But Jaya with her determination and the training received through Vedanta Foundation vocational center converted her weakness into strength. She became proficient in the English language and overcame her fear of public speaking to lead a team of 30 people. From a Sensitivity: Public (C4) data entry specialist to Assistant Manager in the Finance Department of the global company of Iron Mountain (parent company of Navbharat Archive Xpress). From a shy girl struggling to communicate with the client to lead the finance department at her company, Jaya has come a long way and we are proud of her journey of self-growth.

Vedanta Foundation envisions to open over 100 vocational centers in the upcoming year, transforming the lives of over 20,000 beneficiaries annually.