Investing in skill development, especially among the youth, is crucial for India's growth and development. Initiatives like Garima - Diversey School of Hygiene play a vital role in economic value creation.

By Himanshu Jain

India is known to be world’s youngest nation, with 50% of its population falling between the age group of 15-50 years. It is assumed that this percentage will rise to 64% by the year 2021 and India will have 25% of the world’s working population by 2025. Since the growth and development of a nation depends on its skilled workforce, India has a first-hand advantage.

Shri Narendra Modi stated, “Skilling is building a better India”.

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Keeping the above thought in mind, it is imperative that all stake-holders join hands to ensure effective implementation of skill development mandatorily. Keeping this in mind, we at Sealed Air are trying to do our bit for the society and trying to help individuals to have a better life.

Garima- Diversey School of Hygiene

Garima- Diversey School of Hygiene a Skill Development Initiative of Sealed Air for strengthening the cleaning Industry.

The initiative enables us to address the challenge in three ways; by helping unemployed rural youth find jobs and a better living condition, bringing scientific approach to the cleaning & hygiene profession and enhancing the standards of the cleaning industry, and helping the industry bring dignity to the job of cleaning profession by positioning them as “hygiene technician” instead of janitors. Also Garima – Diversey School of Hygiene,India ensures safety and science, by implementing safe handling and use of Cleaning Chemicals and Equipment and fulfilling their social responsibility by providing trained minds, expert hands and scientific method to better clean India.

With Garima, Diversey is not only focusing on training individuals, but also providing them guaranteed job opportunity, by placing the candidates with the facility management and BSC customers.

The training is provided to Individuals who are keen on being trained, to any group of people seeking to upgrade their life and to Management for implementing the Best Practices in their organization. This helps us stand out and provide better opportunities in getting the trained individuals placed. Also benefiting the society by creating and providing excellent opportunity to the under privileged strata. This generates a sense of belonging and contribution among individuals towards the organised sector, a cause or a vision of clean India.

In the first year itself, the company was able to help 1500 individuals across India, in different cities. The 5 year plan is to positively impact lives of 50,000 individuals.

Economic Value Creation

Garima- Diversey School of Hygiene, India is not only enabling the company to fulfill its sustainability goals, but is also creating a great economic value. Last financial year, the company provided jobs to candidates with an average salary of Rs. 8000 (There will be candidates earning higher based on their skill and capabilities).The annual approximate value creation is Rs. 144,000,000 (Rupees Fourteen Crores) (1500 employees * Rs 8000*12)

A skilled cleaning technician working in a building environment reduces the cost as well as improves efficacy of the cleaning process by the four following virtues:

Awareness of chemicals& process (product application)
Scientific Approach to cleaning(right methodology)
Safe use of machines& equipment increases durability and efficiency
Soft skills (knowledge to educate users)

With the training provided by Garima – Diversey School of Hygiene, the hygiene technician recruits are in a better position to serve, helping facilities and infrastructures attain their hygiene goals in a better manner.

It is not enough to pose resources, but it’s imperative to utilize the same to its best in order to truly succeed. It is only smart that we hone and foster the youth of our nation and reap the benefits of this abundant resource to make our country a better, healthier and well informed system to live in.