#JobsforAll: These NGOs are upskilling and generating employment for the underserved amidst COVID-19 pandemic

According to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), about 41 lakh Indian youth lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of this, construction and farm sector workers account for the majority of job losses.

However, many organisations have come forward to create more jobs amidst the pandemic. In fact, some of the non-profit organisations have been focusing on upskilling and development of the youth to make them future-ready. While some are training women to make them financially independent, others are generating jobs for those who are the worst impacted.

SocialStory identified some non-profits in India, who are upskilling and aiding the underserved and marginalised communities to find employment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lakshyam

NGO Lakshyam aims to provide technical education and skill development lessons for children residing in slums and backward areas. It has been empowering women in marginalised communities, enabling them with professional and vocational training that helps them with employment opportunities.

The NGO's efforts are directed towards skill development programmes such as handicraft product making and stitching to empower women to make their own financial decisions. Since its inception, in 2012, it has impacted more than 4,000 women in over 17 states through its projects.

Hand in Hand India

Hand in Hand India is a non-profit that is focussed on women empowerment and job creation since 2004. Using an integrated approach, it works with different sections of the underserved society and has created 4.2 million jobs so far.

Apart from India, the NGO is present in South Africa, Brazil, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Switzerland. It primarily works in the verticals of child labour elimination, job creation, skill development, healthcare, natural resource management, solid waste management, and village upliftment.

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The /Nudge Foundation

Founded in 2015, The/Nudge Foundation works towards alleviating poverty by training youth and gig economy workers. Its skill development and entrepreneurship programme called The Gurukul focuses on youth employability through new-age skill training with placement opportunities that have impacted over 10,000 low-income youth across various Indian states.

The Gurukul has grown to three different entities — the Centre for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Centre for Rural Development, and the Centre for Social Innovation.

The/Nudge Foundation has also announced that Indian Administrative Fellowship (IAF) of C-Suite executives and leaders will work with principal secretaries of state governments to work on programmes of strategic importance, such as achieving 100 percent electrification and Sustainable Development Goals for clean drinking water.

PanIIT Alumni Reach for India (PARFI) Foundation

The Nation Building arm of PanIIT India Alumni is effectively reaching out to backward and tribal areas of India, where there is a lack of facilities of education and employment opportunities.

The foundation is working towards providing a self-sustainable, job-assured, loan-funded, vocational skilling model, enhancing the incomes and livelihood of the underprivileged. It teaches technical skills for job roles, including nursing, construction service (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades), manufacturing (welding, fitting, and assembly), logistics, textiles, etc.

The technical training is imparted using the latest technology to make them financially secure and independent. Its short-term skill training models have helped these youth to get 100 percent assured placement in reputed blue-collar jobs. It has trained over 18,000 youths and has impacted nearly one lakh lives so far.

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Anudip Foundation

This non-profit organisation provides skill training to people from marginalised communities to help them find jobs and enhance their livelihoods. Founded in 2007, Anudip Foundation has worked with and aided over 65,000 people to date.

The NGO has over 150 training centres in rural, peri-urban, and concrete areas in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Delhi-NCR. At these centres, it trains the beneficiaries in various subjects like spoken English and English comprehension, IT, retail, hospitality, digital and financial literacy, programming languages, etc.