Avaya India & Bal Raksha Bharat empower 500 Adolescents & Youth from Child Care Institutions; 380 find employment through skill building programme

12/05/23

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New Delhi, 27th March 2023: Bal Raksha Bharat (globally known as Save the Children), with support from Avaya India recognised 380 youth and adolescents who found placements after going through vocation skills training under a joint programme – ‘EMPOWERING ADOLESCENT AND YOUTH IN NEED OF CARE AND PROTECTION (EAY-NCP) IN NEW DELHI’. 150 of these young adults who will form the alumni group, were felicitated at a ‘Youth Conclave 2023’, held in New Delhi, to celebrate their success through their journey ‘from a trainee to a working employee’.

The Program facilitated 500 youth (200 in year one, and 300 in year two) aged 15-24 years some of who reside in CCIs, with soft skills such as financial literacy, communication skills, life skills and psychosocial support. 60 percent of these are girls between the ages of 18-24 years, and have been successfully placed at BPOs, in Retail Stores, Food & Beverage (F&B) sector, Assistant Electricians, and some are also self-employed.

The two organisations have partnered to impart skilling and create an employable pool of youth among Children in Need of Care and Protection, often staying in Child Care Institutions (CCIs). Bal Raksha Bharat linked these CCIs (Children Homes & day care centres) with training centres by bringing the skilling centres closer to these target groups, rather than the other way around. For girls, this vocational training equips them with adequate skills and capacities to find decent employment and also safeguards them from various protection issues like trafficking or prostitution.

Speaking at the event, Vishal Agrawal, Managing Director, Avaya (India and SAARC) said, “We at Avaya feel very connected to this initiative and believe that any progress made in life depends on the opportunities and exposure that are provided. Which is why we wanted to open prospects for these children by strengthening their skills. This initiative was started during the COVID lockdown, which is why we used our cloud technology solution to reach to these children. This occasion is a step forward to empower these young adults to start a new life not just for themselves but also for their families, and we wish them all the best for a bright future.”

Sudarshan Suchi, CEO, Bal Raksha Bharat added, “These children represent India’s ambition of a developed nation and this (of being skilled and employable) is their contribution to the country. The National Skill Development Mission of the government has been developed not only to consolidate and coordinate skilling efforts, but also to achieve skilling at scale with speed and standards. We thank Avaya India for partnering with us on this effort to empower these children with life skills, digital and financial literacy skills that has been foundational to the vocational training that eventually got them employed.”

Since this process was started during the COVID lockdown period, ‘Avaya Spaces’ facilitated a cloud-based collaboration technology. Trainings were conducted by both online and onsite mediums based on the nature of the courses. These training facilities were further equipped with relevant training kits for hands on practice and relevant reading materials as per trades identified, and psychosocial support to a few identified trainee was provided with the necessary counselling support. To enable all this, the project set up an Audio-Video unit at each CCI.

Empowering Adolescents and Youth – Skill-Building and Livelihood is a 2-year skill-building project focused on ensuring better employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth and preparing adolescents with age-appropriate skills. The Child Care Institutes (CCIs), and Day Care Centres (DCCs) are linked to Delhi-based Vocational and Education Training Centre (VET) operated by Bal Raksha Bharat using Avaya Spaces (a cloud-based collaboration technology). The centres are equipped with audio-video units, smart TVs, laptops, webcams, and internet connections.

Bal Raksha Bharat has also partnered with various training institutes who provide certifications, which adds further value to the program. These training facilities have been further equipped with relevant training kits for hands on practice and relevant reading materials as per trades identified and psychological support to the need based identified trainees has been provided with the necessary counselling support.

About Bal Raksha Bharat

Bal Raksha Bharat works across 15 states and 3 Union Territories of India on issues related to education, health, protection, and humanitarian and resilience-building needs of children, especially for those who are the most deprived and marginalized. Visit www.balrakshabharat.org for more information

Soumi Halder

Manager-Program Campaign and Communication, Programme Support

“With over 20 years of dedicated experience in the social development sector, I am passionate about championing child rights and community empowerment through innovative communication strategies. I am Manager for Programme Campaigns and Communication with Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children)."