#CelebratingTomorrowTogether With GMR Varalakshmi Foundation...

GMR Group is one of the most well-known infrastructure enterprises in India, having a foundation spanning close to four decades and a diverse portfolio of projects focusing on constructing state-of-art facilities ranging over Airports, Energy, Transportation and Urban Infrastructure. 

In fact, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is a consortium of GMR Group, Airports Authority of India, and Fraport. Apart from providing the country with world-class infrastructure to boast about, GMR Group also has its CSR initiatives going strong with Varalakshmi Foundation as its CSR arm. 

In conjunction with Varalakshmi Foundation's silver jubilee and DIAL VTI's ten-year-long efforts and on the occasion of Teacher's Day yesterday, I was delighted to accept an invitation from GMR Group to pay a visit to Varalakshmi Foundation's Vocational Training Institute here in Delhi and witness the Foundation's best efforts at the grassroots level in critical scenarios of Education, Primary Health and Hygiene, Empowerment and Livelihoods (particularly of youth and women), and Community Development in keeping with GMR's seven core values and beliefs. 

Seven Core Values and Beliefs of GMR Group

GMR, in keeping with the core philosophy of working hand in hand with the community, and as elucidated by Ms. Meena Raghunathan, Director, Community Services at GMR Varalakshmi Foundation, explored Skilling as avenue beginning 2003. Focusing primarily on unemployed youth (school/college dropouts) from underprivileged families, GMR VF set out to provide a first step into some skilled vocation for many, rather than informal work. Once trained, trainees across a total of twelve currently running courses (ten vocations and two - Personality Development and Communication Skills) could express interest for a job for which the VTI works with their Industry Partners of the likes of Voltas, Volvo, Schneider Electric etc. or self-employment. 

Apart from two other such training facilities in Hyderabad and Bangalore, ten have been established in rural backdrops. So, that makes for a total of thirteen such training centers across the length and breadth of the nation. While VTI Delhi offers ten vocations, there are a variety of thirty courses being offered across all such centers. 

It was overwhelming to know that five of the ten vocations are making girls capable enough to be employed, those being: Computer Data Entry, Nursing, Tailoring, Garment Quality Checking, and Retail. While the gender ratio is a bit skewed towards boys i.e. 55 is to 45, it is still heartening to acknowledge the effort of girls coming forward to support their families amid testing waters. 

It was also comforting to interact with seven trainees currently pursuing courses at VTI while applauding their efforts to carve their identities by attempting to acquire plausible skills and encouraging them to egg on with their positive spirit. 

Whilst touring VTI to acquaint ourselves with some of the ongoing courses, their duration, the eligibility criteria for trainees to seek admission, and the relevant Industry Partners, we were also let known of the fact that word-of-mouth was of utmost importance while mobilizing such youth who could benefit from the foundation's initiative. 

VTI is well-equipped with classrooms, hostel, mess, work shed, library, seminar hall, and a playground for trainees. The significant features of the Vocational Training Program were elucidated to us as under:  

• Provides skill training in 10 different trades in collaboration with credible industry partners.
• Available training for candidates of fifth-pass to graduate level.
• Since inception in 2009, a total of 4000 youth have been trained and about 3374 have been placed. Around 15% trainees are working in IGI Airport in Delhi through different vendors.
• Residential vocational training center having the capacity to train approximately 750 youth each year with a settlement success rate of 84%
• Industry partners are engaged for all ten channels to ensure settlement of the trainees
• Integration of soft skill training and English speaking to ensure the job readiness of trainees.
• The center has a well-developed system for mobilization of youth, counseling, training on soft skills, placement and post placement support. 
  
  

In addition to such an initiative by Varalakshmi Foundation, EMPOWER – 'Enabling Marketing of Products of Women Entrepreneurs' facilitates training, production, and marketing of a range of artifacts made by self-help groups comprising of women from underserved communities across India, including Delhi. Training in making jute products, hand-made paper products, weaving and embroidery, stitching and tailoring are some of the activities undertaken as a part of EMPOWER. 

Depending on the orders, women earn anywhere between ₹4000 to ₹8000 per month. The initiative is almost close to breaking even for the entire value chain, but the support it gets from GMR VF in terms of training, equipment, spaces, etc. subsidize the cost of the enterprise, thus helping it to move towards sustainability. 

Women working at VTI Delhi to manufacture Jute Bags

As an educator myself, it was overwhelming to witness first-hand, and appreciate the heartfelt efforts being put in by GMR Group as a realization of their presence as an agent of constructive change in society by enhancement and creation of value through Corporate Social Responsibility. :)