GMR Varalakshmi Centre for Empowerment and Livelihoods (GMRVCEL)-Hyderabad took up training of youth around the Hyderabad airport in 2006. In July 2008 a permanent residential center was inaugurated. The initiative aims to provide short-term vocational training to the unemployed rural youth, especially from villages close to airport, who have dropped out of education.

CEL-Hyderabad is a residential vocational training centre on the airport campus which trains over 500 youth every year in different trades. The Centre is equipped with classrooms, dormitories, worksheds, mess, library, recreation room, seminar hall, etc., to provide all facilities under one roof.

The courses offered by the Center are of short-term duration, ranging from 2 to 6 months. The training is provided free of cost with preference given to candidates from the airport-affected villages. An entrance test, individual counseling and socio-economic background check are the criteria for selecting a candidate.

As a strategy, technical courses are offered in partnership with academic or industrial institutes to deliver the most industry-relevant content. Thus, the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning course is delivered in partnership with Voltas, Micro-irrigation with Jain Irrigation and Electrician training with Schneider Electric, etc. Partners not only help with curriculum design, technical expertise and equipments, but also with crucial components of on-the-job training as well as placement support.

Apart from the technical training, emphasis is given to personality development and workplace readiness. Regular yoga, spoken English classes, soft skill modules, mock interviews all help to make the trainees work-ready.

Highlights

• The institute has trained more than 1203 youth (673 male and 530 female) so far and 1103 (682 male and 421 female) of them were settled-a healthy settlement rate of 92%.
• Candidates have been placed in companies like B.L. Kashyap, Bank of America, Hi-Design, Big Bazar, GMR, etc. Salary ranges from Rs 3000 to 12,000/-.
• Partnership with relevant leaders in industry e.g. Voltas, Jain Irrigation, Schneider, VLCC, etc.
• Close to 800 candidates placed with different concessionaires in airport from surrounding villages.
• Centre’s work served as an important component in GMR group bagging awards including ‘Best CSR Activity to Rajeev Gandhi International Airport’ at the World Routes Conference in 2008 and TERI-CSR Award for Best CSR in 2009.
• The Center has been accredited as a Vocational Training Provider (VTP) of National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT), Government of India.

Case study

A Click to Freedom!
Indira was a spirited young girl of 23 years from Gollapally village near Shamshabad. After completing Std. X, she had to drop education due to financial and family constraints. She was trying to find her feet doing odd jobs but could not continue or excel without any formal training.

It was at this time, she came to know that GMR Varalakshmi Centre for Empowerment and Livelihoods, Hyderabad was conducting special vocational courses for rural youth aimed at employment or self-enterprise. One of the courses was on ‘Computer MS Office and DTP’. Indira took the opportunity and set about to get the best from the course. She had 100% attendance during the course and also excelled in all soft skill modules. After the course, she was offered a job as a computer assistant in an agency making radium boards and stickers.

When the opportunity arose, GMRVCEL organized an interview with Tenaga Parking, a Malaysia based company which was awarded the contract for handling the parking at the airport. Now she is placed at the airport and she earns more than Rs 5000/ a month.

She has not only learnt so many new things but feels quite empowered with her new found freedom. She is able to support her family as well as do a job as she always aspired.