Schneider Electric India Foundation (SEIF) – the social commitment arm of Schneider Electric India and Sri Sri Rural Development Programme Trust (SSRDPT) today launched their first Advanced Training Centre. Global spiritual leader and Founder of The Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar inaugurated the training facility.
With this partnership, SEIF and SSRDPT aim to train over 1400 youth by 2025 in the areas of electric distribution, renewable energy, home, and building, the company said.
This training will also empower 200 women trainees through personality development and helping them attain financial independence. SEIF and SSRDPT together operate 40 basic electrician training centers and 2 solar training centers across the country where they hone the technical and soft skills of youth and prepare them for employment opportunities.
Till now, 11,664 students have been trained including 450 women in the energy domain. These trained professionals are now earning an average salary of Rs. 12,500 per month.
“Yog and Udyog (hard work) go together, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said in his address, “Skilling is very important to counter unemployment in India. In countries like Germany, skilling is embedded in the education system.”
Anil Chaudhry, CEO- Schneider Electric India Pvt. Ltd. & Zone President, Greater India, said, “At Schneider Electric, we are committed to address the skill gap in the country and support the Government of India’s initiative in creating a skilled workforce. It is for this reason that we are delighted to collaborate with SSRDPT on the establishment of this advanced training center. We extend our sincere gratitude to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for blessing this initiative and being present during the inauguration ceremony today. Our mission is to reach every segment of society and empower local groups with training and education programs for sustainable living. The newly opened center will provide training and considerably enhance students’ likelihood of finding respectable employment.”
Speaking at the event, R N Merani, Chairman-Trustee, Sri Sri Rural Development Programme Trust (SSRDPT) shared, “Some of the trainees would be able to start their small businesses and become job givers rather than remain job seekers.” He also said that the way ahead “is through renewable energy and this Art of Living Centre of Excellence with its cutting-edge training aids, is a step towards sustainable living.”
What is so special about the project is that the training facilities provided are state-of-the-art and include home and industrial Automation training as also a micro-grid. Trainees from class 10 to B Tech would be made job-ready in just 3 months of Holistic training which includes computers plus a grounding and capacity building course of the Art of Living.
This training setup consists of the following laboratories:
1. Solar AC Micro Grid laboratory
2. Advanced Solar laboratory
3. Digital Classroom
4. Advanced Electrical laboratory
5. Industrial Automation laboratory
6. Roof-top Solar Power Plant
India’s soul resides in its metros and tier 1,2 & 3 cities, which account for more than 60% of the nation’s population. While the government is taking steps to uplift the rural sections of the society through various skilling programs, it is also necessary for corporates to act as a catalyst and promote skill development in the country. With this aim, SEIF started its partnership with SSRDPT in 2013 and have jointly established basic electrician and solar training centers across 15 states, including, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Haryana, Maharashtra, Delhi, Jharkhand, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
The aspiring and top-performing candidates from the centers of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Manipur, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and J&K will be directed to this centre for advanced training programs. Similar training centers have also been set up in Central Jail, Bangalore, Srinagar Central Jail, Nasik Jail and Tihar Jail to provide rehabilitation for prison inmates so that they can restart their lives with dignity after their release.
