Lack of Employability Skills among youth cause for serious concern in India. By the year 2020, India will have the largest population of youth (age group of 20 – 35 years) in the world. According to FICCI, India produces around 350,000 engineers and 25 Lakh graduates annually. However, at any given point in time, about 50 Lakh graduates remain unemployable because most of them are unskilled. Only about 2-3% of Indians in the 15 – 29 age group have received any kind of vocational skills training because there has been no formal provision till very recently. Higher Education systems and Skill Development platforms have largely run on parallel tracks, despite obvious need for convergence. At present, the per annum training capacity is just over 3 million, as against a requirement of 12 million. The Heal Foundation in the last half a decade has run several Skill Development Projects under CSR initiative as well as with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
Under the Swavalamban programme, Heal Foundation has trained over 3,000 women on entrepreneurship. This approach has resulted in positive, although localized social change with more than 2000 women participation in economic activities and access to resources. From vegetable vending kiosks to fast food counters to garment manufacturing works to being service providers of organised tiffin, housekeeping, elderly & child care services at offices & home, these women are adding second income to their households.
As a national partner of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Domestic Worker Sector Skill Council (DWSSC), ASTC, one of the specialised training centres was established by HEAL Foundation to provide quality training to the people (trainees) as per the National Occupational Standard. Located in Kirari Suleman Nagar, a big slum area in Mongolpuri, West Delhi, Anand Skill Training Centre is supported under Pradhan Mantri Kuashal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The centre was established to skill domestic workers, which forms the largest chunk of unorganised labour in the country. It is accredited to Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council (DWSSC), the sector-domain skill council under NSDC. Over 2000+ beneficiaries have been trained till date under the four job roles approved by NSDC: General Housekeeper, Housekeeper cum Cook, Elderly Care (non clinical) and Child Care.
Please find below a brief details of the Skill Development Projects and Initiatives of Heal Foundation
