Making Livelihoods Accessible for Vulnerable Youth: Impact of Jeevika Skill Development Program

“My father runs a tea shop. He always wanted me to become something, but opportunities were very limited for someone hailing from a village with Hindi medium schooling. However, I enrolled for the Jeevika program and also got a placement. We are a family of 7. Being the eldest daughter, I feel happy that I can share the financial responsibility with my father, he no longer has to bear it alone. My parents keep telling me that sky's the limit and I must dream big and achieve even bigger things. I believe I can do so much more now.” says Neha (name changed), Jeevika alumnus working in IT department of Lotus Petal Foundation

When we started the Pratishthan Learning Centre? (PLC), it was our endeavor to ensure that the intervention is holistically designed to address one of the core needs of our beneficiaries - access to livelihood. As we were working with adolescents hailing from vulnerable sections of the society, it was imperative that they not only received a proper education, but also learnt the skills during their schooling to be employed as a knowledge worker and lead a fulfilling life. Hence, the Jeevika program which translates to “livelihood” in Hindi, was designed to equip our students with the necessary skills to become skilled workers. For PLC students, Jeevika is embedded in their 11th and 12th course curriculum, where they have the choice of selecting a course that aligns with their long-term objectives. Simultaneously, the course was expanded to include beneficiaries who weren’t our students, especially youth from marginalized sections of society who were high-school dropouts or young college graduates, lacking the skills to enter the formal sector.?

Though our intention behind this course was to skill our beneficiaries keeping in mind the emerging trends in the labor market and availability of job opportunities. We realized that there is a widening gap between demand and supply of skilled workers, leading to an acute shortage of skilled workers in the economy, informalization of the formal sector and unemployment among youth. The Indian Labour Organization (ILO) Report 2024 highlights a growing demographic dividend, with 7–8 million youths joining the workforce annually, harnessing their productivity is crucial for India's benefit. However, the labor force participation rate dropped from 61.6% in 2000 to 55.2% in 2022, resulting in increased unemployment.?

Youth unemployment is a major concern and is higher among young, educated graduates as compared to their lesser-educated counterparts. ILO 2024 reports that despite having trained in technical skills, two-fifth young graduates opted for occupations that don't correspond to their education. There’s a mismatch between education and skill which also contributes to the employment crisis.

To tackle this, the government has launched various skill development programs to upskill urban and rural youth to become a part of the workforce and contribute to the economy. Despite novel efforts, implementation gaps persist, especially in ensuring job placements. Recent government data shows that fewer than 20 percent of the 10 million individuals trained under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana were placed in jobs between 2015 and March 2023. Therefore, we currently require a program that has undergone testing and implementation, showing clear evidence at a micro level of effectively training youth for employment in the formal sector. And the Jeevika program serves exactly this purpose. In our year of intervention, enrolling about 1000 youth, 55% have already been placed in various formal sector organizations.

The Jeevika Program is the vocational skill development program of Lotus Petal Foundation operating from the Skill Development Centre at Dhunela Campus. It is a unique course that weaves together three key aspects of learning - theoretical and practical domain knowledge, communication skills, and personality development. It is provided to PLC students and young adults in the age group of 18-25. Keeping in mind the various commitments of the Jeevika students, the courses are usually 3-6 months long, with regular assessments in place to test their caliber at regular intervals. We also have specialized labs to facilitate a better learning environment oriented towards providing them with a hands-on training experience in a vocation of their choice.?

Our program provides comprehensive support to students, which includes career counseling by professional counselors, soft skill training, and interview etiquette by highly qualified trainers. This ensures that students are well-prepared, understand the requirements of the job market, and align their trajectory accordingly. Our committed placement officers work closely with the students to assist them in their placement journey. Post-placement support extends beyond a year after the placement of the respective students and involves regular check in calls, feedback from the company and students regarding their experience.

A key component of the program is encouraging participation from female students and students from marginalized communities. We recognize the societal barriers such as - family pressures, gender discrimination, social stigma among others which impede women from participating in the workforce. Ensuring that our female students are able to participate fully in the courses of their choice, we have dedicated transport and meal services. Male-dominated fields like banking, also witnessed a demand from our female students as we were running an all-females special course on Banking and Financial Services to develop their skills in this sector. Despite being a male-dominated field, our Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance courses boast the highest female enrollment rate. This attests to the fact that all our course instructors and trainers collectively work towards providing a learning environment conducive to their growth and development.?

Currently, the program is offering five courses which are all certified by the National Skill Development Corporation of India. The five courses are - Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, Retail and Sales, Hospitality, Digital Services, Hardware and Networking.

Young adults practicing in Hardware and Networking Class

Orientation session of young adults?

Retail and Sales Lab?

Students getting a hands-on experience in the hospitality lab.

The Salient Features of our Program are as follows:?

1. Courses aligned with the emerging trends in the job market.?
2. All courses are certified by the National Skill Development Corporation of India
3. Focuses on building - Domain Knowledge, Personality development and Communication skills
4. Pre-placement handholding support and mentoring for all the students.?
5. Post-placement support to ensure smooth transition and settlement into the job?
6. Subsidized fee structure with the option to pay the course fees after placement.?
7. 100% placement guarantee?
8. Free transportation and food at Campus to ensure maximum focused participation.?
9. Specialized labs for Hands-on training
10. ?Industrial and Corporate visits?

Many of our alumni who hail from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds have reported that Jeevika's approach and placement support have assisted them in getting jobs in the formal sector and making a substantial contribution to their family's income. One of our alumni, Akash, is currently employed at Teleperformance and comes from a family engaged in the informal sector. Now positioned in this company, he feels that the job has given him the flexibility to pursue his higher studies and provided him with financial security to help his family. This highlights the newfound access to employee benefits like PF, gratuity and health insurance, underscoring the transformative impact of stable, secure employment on their lives and families.

We have 231 alumni, of which 126 have already secured placements in various multinational companies like Teleperformance, SISL Infotech Private Limited, Concentrix, Quess Corporation, IIFL Finance, and Planet PCI Infotech Limited, among others. Of the 231 students, 71 were female, and 26 were already placed. Our current placement rate is 54.5%, indicating that our program is a promising skill development initiative that not only enhances the lives of our beneficiaries but can also contribute significantly towards strengthening the labor force participation rate.

That being said, we are cognizant that 46% of our alumni are currently not seeking any employment. Many choose to pursue higher education upon completing their courses, while others, despite counseling, are hesitant to work due to personal reasons. These students are counseled at various checkpoints to track their progress and understand if their needs have changed over time. While being sensitive and open to their aspirations, we realize that even with the best intentions and counseling support, many students will opt for a life that may or may not lead to secure and stable employment.?

Despite certain shortcomings that are beyond our control, we have remained steadfast in delivering the program to individuals who need it the most. Based on the program's results, we have begun the process of expanding the program to encompass a greater number of youth. We're establishing modular skill development centers in colleges, replicating the comprehensive training and support model of our Dhunela Campus. We've enrolled 975 students and aim to reach even more, enhancing their access to employment opportunities.

Furthermore, bridging the gap between skill and education requires embedding skilling into college, higher education, and school curricula. Skilling initiatives must align with market trends to ensure their relevance and effectiveness. We're dedicated to this cause and actively seeking collaborations across educational institutions to achieve it.?

Do you have anyone in your circle who can benefit from this? Please connect them with us for their shilling journey to be kickstarted or accelerated.??

Resources:?

1. https://www.skilldevelopment.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-07/Annexure%20I%20PMKVY.pdf
2. Indian Labour Organization Report, 2024.?