India 5 October 2016:
In a first-of-its-kind endeavour, Vivekanand Education Society (VES) has tied up with state-run oil major Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) to provide skill-based training and jobs to students of Vivekanand Primary School who could not pursue their education owing to economic constraints or other pressures. Aptly titled ‘HPCL Swawalamban’, the program run under HPCL’s Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) initiative will be implemented with the help of the Skill Development Department of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
“It is extremely gratifying to be associated with a premier academic institution like VES which has committed itself to the upliftment of students from the lower strata of society. HPCL has been undertaking the Swavalamban initiative since 2006. This program has been conceived as a skill-development exercise for students who are not in a position to pursue higher education and are impeded in their job-seeking pursuits. We initiate 2-3 months of short-term training modules for batches of 200-300 students and train them in ingraining various employment skills and getting jobs “, stated Ashish Trivedi from CII.
The training programs will adhere to industry benchmarks and at the successful completion of the training course, students will be given certificates which are valid across various industries and will be given offer letters from prospective employers. In the course of the training program, a small module on micro-finance will also be organized which will help students to understand the finer nuances and procedures of finding funds for self-started projects.
Commenting on the noble initiative meant to change the lives of several students for the better, Shri Amar Asrani, Trustee, VES, stated, “This is indeed a historical moment for VES. This is a great chance for children to redeem their lives by empowering themselves with skill-based training. In a world where getting an academic certificate qualifies a student as being educated, these programs equip the students with critical skills which enable them to forge their own identity and chart their own career course. These skills are crucial in helping the student gain self-respect and confidence. “
Quoting Swami Vivekanand whose philosophy is the guiding force for VES, Secretary, Shri Dinesh ji said that when character is built and confidence is ingrained, a powerful personality comes to the fore which helps in creating a value-based society through honesty and education. These training programs have not been formulated to create mere trained professionals but responsible humans with a social conscience and value systems.
Students who have enrolled for the pilot batch of the training program and their parents participated in an interactive Q&A session with panel experts for dispelling their doubts.