Providing opportunity and free vocational training

Observing the data meticulously, Pramadaya India Foundation aims at providing free vocational training to youths, especially adolescents in underprivileged and backward areas. We’re ambitious to provide and create different opportunities to the young minds of these communities. Nearly 67-68% of India’s total population stands as the rural youth population of the country. Pramadaya believes in providing them the right training which not only nurtures their existing talents but also helps them build different skills, which can aid them in finding the right job for themselves. 

We are onboard to design certain projects and workshops which will spread awareness regarding the future prospects and scope of vocational training for them. Our team plans to exhibit skill development programmes at the grass root level, especially targeting the adolescent strata. We recently provided computer based learning programmes for rural youth, to nourish their knowledge and seep them with skills. 

Talking about the vocational education stream- India hosts less than 3 percent of students for it. Not only this, the Vocational Education and Training (VET)  system is unresponsive considering the rising demands of the labour markets. This system is quite rudimentary and unable to tackle the novel challenges. An alarming fact is that less than 40% of its graduates are able to find employment. Pramadaya India Foundation aims to deliver practically more sound vocational training to the adolescents and imbibe a more holistic potential development in the rural youth. 

For this our team is planning to create road maps, structured curriculum, planned deliverables and workshops schedules. Our approach is totally based on catering the challenges and needs of the marginalised adolescents and underprivileged youth. 

To stimulate action for development and empowerment 

The purpose of our training programme is not just bringing awareness among the youth, but also bolstering their existing potentials. We work at grassroot levels with two elementary aims- development of the adolescent age group and their empowerment. Considering empowerment, we look over it in a gender neutral manner with slight inclination towards the young girls and women. Pramadaya India Foundation has been observing and understanding the challenges faced in the labour market by personally connecting with the backward and neglected sections of the society. Our team has managed to connect with over 100+ youth from impoverished areas and understand the budding difficulties for them. This has allowed us to work in a more comprehensive manner rather than blatantly following a linear approach. 

In recent years, the government has also launched various initiatives for the youth, to overcome the skill deficit in India. These include Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY), National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Indian Skill Development Service, SANKALP, Jan Shiksha Sansthan and many more. However, there is still a big lag in employability. Data suggest that the youth unemployment rate stood at a whooping 54.1% in 2021. This raises alarms as more than half of the youth population stands as unemployed. Moreover, a nation’s economy, industrialization and development depends on the youth population. 

To help our youth achieve better, Pramadaya India Foundation also plans to partner in the already existing skill development initiatives and closely work with government organisations. This will allow us to reach even those areas which are demographically outside our sphere. We have held discussions with other NGOs as well regarding the challenges, shortcomings and prospects of skill development programmes. This has made our approach multifocal. 

Pramadaya aims to address the skill deficit 

On a global scale, industries and firms compete for supremacy. This requires workers with a higher level of skill set who can lead to innovation, enhance efficiency, and improve the quality of products and services. Also, these workers need to adapt to the technological advancements which require specialised knowledge and skills. 

As India continues to undergo digital transformation, many more employment opportunities will be created for the youth. And in order to grab these opportunities, there must be skill development and upskilling of adolescents. 

Therefore, Pramadaya believes in addressing and structuring the skill deficit at the grass root level. Over the years, volunteers of Pramadaya have visited marginalised areas to understand the unemployment and skill deficit persisting there. One major challenge which these underprivileged areas face is poor internet connection which hinders computer based learning and technological advancement. Pramadaya India recently organised a computer based learning programme for marginalised youth. We also believe in spreading our influence to other backward areas where the youth doesn’t have appropriate resources to hone their skills. 

Also Read: Relief programmes started by Pramadaya India Foundation 

Develop the personality of the youth and to channelize their energy 

One can not only blame the lack of resources as one of the reasons for unemployment. Personality development and character plays a very important role. In the era of social media, most adolescents are heading astray. This is primarily because their entire time and energy is being spent on social media, multimedia platforms and other. This has severely contributed to their unproductivity. Studies have found the overuse of these platforms have led to depression, lethargy, diminished mental capacity and irritability amongst the adolescence age group. This can be overcome by channelizing their energy in a guided manner. 

Pramadaya’s team has spent hours in finding sustainable, integrated and comprehensive ways to channelize their energy. Our vision is to shape the character of the youth. We believe the right personality development of the youth will not only allow them to think efficiently but also encourage them to take up activities that are better suited for their skill development. 

According to a research done by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 90 percent of Indian youth, in both rural and urban areas, did no physical recreational activity. This has led to stagnancy. We also aim to organise such recreational activities which can bring about the holistic skill development of the youth in an engaging way. This is not only to boost their physical health but also improve their personality and character. 

For this our approach has been multicentric. 

Encourage games, sports, yoga, judo, hockey, football, cricket and others 

Considering the statistics, the percentage of youth participating in sports has decreased in the last five years. According to a study done by Puma, 57% of Indians haven’t played any sport in one year. Simultaneously, there has been a marked increase in the sedentary lifestyle of the youth. Not only does this pose physical health issues but also diminishes the IQ. Pramadaya India Foundation aims to visit rural, underdeveloped and impoverished areas and encourage different sports amongst the youth. Our objective is to organise different sports tournaments and recreational physical activities in these areas. This will allow us to improve the health of the young minds coupled with skill development. 

By having proper sports training and sound physical health, these youths will be able to find employment in various government sectors such as the railways, police services, army etc. This will not only support their financial condition but also improve the quality of life of their families. Also, improving physical health is one of the keys to youth empowerment. 

According to a study, nearly 74% of the Indian children got insufficient physical activity in the year 2016. Further, the study says that 3 out of 4 adolescents are inactive. Thus, every adolescent should be encouraged to indulge in at least 30 minutes of some sort of physical activity. 

Pramadaya India Foundation has also planned to promote and organise yoga and meditation programmes for the youth. This will help them to alleviate stress, have a sound mental health and improve overall well being. Also, our goal is to educate them about the benefits of meditation. 

Arranging and organising computer based education

Recently, the Union Education Ministry’s report Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2021-22 released the percentage of schools that have internet connection and computer based learning. These included both private and government institutions. The study found that only 34% of schools in India have internet access while 50% have no computers. Furthermore, many rural schools didn’t have either of the two. 

Considering the recent technological advancements, computer based learning has become the need of the hour for every adolescent. Pramadaya India Foundation has strategized to carry out computer based teaching programmes for youth residing in different rural areas. We aim to improve their know by means of computer and also improve their technical knowledge. This is to make their minds innovative and prepare them according to the needs of the current time. 

Having an apt knowledge about computers and technology will allow them to find employment in almost any field. Also, they will be able to learn and grasp theoretical knowledge in a much more efficient manner. 

Pramadaya’s vision is to offer an integrated learning opportunity to the rural youth. We are planning to provide both theoretical and practical classes on the computer. We also have strategized to offer special skill development programmes to rural women especially young girls. 

One such workshop was recently organised in Manipuri by the joint efforts of Pramadaya India Foundation and Arts Of India. It provided skill development on Kauna grass craft. 

Watch more: Kaun craft skill development workshop by Pramadaya India Foundation and Arts of India 

We’re working round the clock and making consistent efforts to uplift the marginalised youth. Our vision is to allow adolescents to realise their full potential and make use of it to find employment and boost the nation’s economy.