Skill Development Programme to Impart Vocational Training to Tribal Youth of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra

Problem Definition

Gadchiroli is characterised by:

• Intense Left Wing Extremism (LWE) activities.
• Lowest Human Development Index (HDI) in the State.
• 90% tribal population, mainly, dependent on Agriculture and Forest.
• Absence of any industry in the district
• Lack of opportunity and exposure.
• The youth of the district due to poor education opportunities and lack of employment were easy targets of naxals operating in the area.
• Demand for skilled manpower was increasing continuously at the same time unemployment was also increasing.

Objectives of Governance Initiative

• To provide industry specific and qualitative vocational training to rural, marginalized youth, especially children belonging to the family of Left Wing
  Extremism (LWE) ultras, violence affected families.
• To impart knowledge, skills and attitude, which makes them confident, gives them a new social identity within the family, village and the community.
• Improve the image of administration and garner public support, in a district which is battling LWE insurgency for last 35 years.

Project Implementation Strategy

In order to increase the employability of the youth Skill Development Program was initiated on the guidelines of Prime Minister’s Counsel for Skill Development. The Career Guidance and Counselling Centre (CGCC) was established in the Gadchiroli district to regulate the program under the control of the District Skill Development Executive Committee. The District Collector is the chairperson of this committee.

The unemployed/ underemployed youth underwent counselling at the village level which was followed by an entrance examination in the form of an aptitude test and personal interview. The candidates were trained into three domains viz. Hospitality, Construction and Automobile repair and hence onwards. The CGCC was also planning to scale up for 13 more disciplines.

The concept was to identify the youth to whom quality skill development training could be imparted which would help to bridge up the unemployment vs. labour deficiency gap. Apart from providing consistent and sustainable source of income, the program was also assisting in reducing disguised unemployment in agriculture sector.

Strengths

• Higher grassroots coverage through counsellors.
• Selection of candidates through examination and interview which enabled to identify the trade that was suitable for the selected candidate as well as the market demand for such trade.
• Training and Transportation charges were directly borne by Dist. Administration while expenditure on food and accommodation was borne by the institute which was reimbursed after completion of the training. There was no cost to the candidate.
• Considering the flexibility and frequency required, new batch was started to accommodate requirement every month.
• 88% of the candidates, who were trained, had been successfully placed, many of them in major cities and industries.
• On an average, the candidate received Rs. 8500/- per month along with a job availability for across the year.

Source : Key to Success publication of DARPG