GMR Varalakshmi Foundation has been involved in the welfare of the society by providing skills to the youth of India under the initiative of the ‘Skill India’ Mission of the Govt. of India. It is the CSR arm of the GMR Group, a company involved in infrastructure. The training first started in 2003 in Srikakulam, AP and now is held in 13 centres across India, with over 60,000 youth already trained and 85% of them got employed. 

The idea behind this project was to give a chance to the college/school dropouts or any youngster who fall out of the mainstream because they don’t have a proper education and are not able to get proper jobs because of lack of skills. The goal was to analyze the need for personnel in entry-level in every sector and train them accordingly in different courses. All the candidates are counselled and put into different courses based on their interest. The impact that was created with this intervention can be stated as:

- Candidates have a sustainable means of income generation and the quality of the standard of living has been increased.

- Now, women are also able to contribute in their household income and this helps in the development of positive attitude and confidence in them. 

- With the help of GMRVF, the youth can be inspired to undergo vocational training which will help them in grabbing fulfilling jobs and save them from livelihood shocks. 

- They are able to save and have gained respect in the society which is as important as earning money. 

The project is implemented keeping in mind the latest curriculum, the latest technology in use, suitable mentors who have proper knowledge and a counselling team to assist candidates in helping them realize their potential. The process consists of three stages. In stage 1, the assessment of the situation is done in which market demand, youth aspiration and course identification are done. In stage 2, course is prepared along with the selection of the suitable faculty and all the materials required. In stage 3, training starts for enhancing the skills, giving the candidates the required exposure by providing on the job training and help in the placements is given. 

While GMRVF contributes majorly in the expenses it also ties up in partnership wherever possible. Though it is not easy to attract partners, but with a professional approach and a clear design of the training process that it involves the industry relevant curriculum, company visits, on the job training, vocational training and certificate and placement help, they were convinced enough to partner with GMRVF. The industry partners help in setting up labs and providing training to the trainers and any other equipment required. GMRVF spends 15,000 to 20,000 on an average on each beneficiary which is excluding the cost it spends on the staff and the centres.   

The staff of the GMRVF always keeps tab on the market trend and which course is getting popular and what is dying. The curriculum is updated whenever required and the trainers are provided training as and what required. The alumni WhatsApp group is created to keep a link as to what is going on in the market and to give feedback.

The project is a long-term initiative and the GMRVF is not looking to close it in the foreseeable future as there will always be youngsters in need of help. When a training batch completes the training and if there are no more resources, then the project stops at that instant without giving any loss to the stakeholders, but can be restarted once the resources are gathered. 

The sustainability of the project lies in the training of youth so that they are confident and motivated enough to carry on the job. There are now 13 centres across India but every time a new centre has to be set up it is a challenge. Different locations have different industries and it is not easy to convince the community that the foundation is working for their welfare. Understanding the aspirations of the locals and meet the demand and supply match can be difficult at the beginning. The Sustainable Development Goal of GMRVF are to Eradicate extreme poverty in all its form everywhere, promote sustained, inclusive economic growth and decent work for all youth and substantially reduce the unemployment rate and reduction in youth not employed by the near future.

The GMR Varalakshmi Foundation has trained over 60,000 candidates since it started where most of the candidates were from the weaker sections of the society and around 45% of them were female. All measures have been adopted to ensure proper implementation such as day-wise curriculum, trainer and trainee handbooks, evaluation and assessment format, all are maintained at every centre for proper working. There is also an MIS system to record and capture the matrix of each training centre. With the proper training and skill development, the candidates are able to reach a height they would never have in the service sector. They are now able to live a respectful and standard life by providing their family with daily needs. Not only the candidates, but the industry partners are also benefiting by this as the work they are helping in is part of their CSR work. 

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Impact-Story is a series on development and CSR interventions leading to some impacts on the ground. If you have a project, innovation or intervention that has changed the lives of a few people or a community, please share a brief note at shilpi@csrbox.org. Our Team will get back to you after validating the information for a detailed coverage.