Godrej Appliances continues to empower the youth
New Delhi: Godrej Appliances, India’s leading home appliance manufacturer, opens its 15th Excellence Centre for technical training in Okhla, in association with Don Bosco Technical Institute, a premier skill training institute, spread across 132 countries having thousands of training institutes worldwide, and over 125 locations in India catering to skilling and employability needs of the youth. Godrej Appliances, under the vocational training program of the group’s ‘Godrej Disha’ initiative, intends to give a new direction to the lives of India’s underprivileged youth by training them in skilled employment in line with the Government’s National Skill Development Mission (Pradhan Mantri Kushal Vikas Yojana).
The new centre is spread across 3,000 sq.ft. and will conduct full-time RAC courses for underprivileged youth in and around Okhla area, apart from Godrej Appliances’ ASP technicians. Mr. Shakeel Jamadar, Head – Training & Service, Godrej Appliances inaugurated the centre along with Ashwini Deodeshmukh, Head – Corporate CSR Committee, Godrej & Boyce, in the presence of the representatives of Don Bosco Technical Institute including Father Jose Mathew, Provincial Superior -New Delhi, Father Joseph, Director – Don Bosco Technical Institute, Brother Cyriac, Administrator & Coordinator – Projects and DBTech Upgradation and Brother Tom, Principal – Don Bosco Technical Institute. Godrej Appliances targets to train 55,000 youth in India to be skilled appliance service technicians by 2020. In addition to the content and curriculum for the training, these excellence centres receive support in terms of Tools, Equipment, Spare parts and Products from Godrej Appliances.
In the next decade, economic growth in India is likely to create a sizeable number of jobs, most of which will be skill-based, however, it is estimated that currently, around 5% of India’s workforce has received formal skills training. With approximately 65% of the country’s population being under 35 years of age, imparting relevant skills training will help counter the ‘unemployability’, which is at present the leading cause of unemployment in India. Through Godrej Disha, Godrej Appliances is trying to address this skilling gap by providing high-quality vocational training in collaboration with renowned training institutes that will allow the urban and rural youth to be employable as appliance service technicians. The focus is to ensure high impact by not only increasing the scale of training year on year but also enhancing the quality of training.
Mr. Shakeel Jamadar, Head – Training & Service, Godrej Appliances, “Our industry is undergoing visible changes in technology and customer expectation and hence the demand for skilled technicians will increase proportionately. As a responsible corporate, we at Godrej Appliances intend to add 55,000 skilled technicians to our appliance industry by 2020. Our Disha initiative strives towards bridging the employability gap, by specifically targeting the underprivileged youth.”
Father Joseph, Director – Don Bosco Technical Institute further added, “Equipping the youth with skills that can help them become employable is a high priority in our country. Godrej Appliances has set up a chain of such excellence centres across India. These programmes affiliated with Godrej Appliances, are focused on building employability and help instil an entrepreneurial spirit among the trainees. We are privileged to be associated with a trusted brand as Godrej. The partnership will immensely benefit the economically weaker and socially disadvantaged youth and empower them through the acquisition of skills relevant to the industry, leading to employment, entrepreneurship or community enterprise.”