• Aims to achieve target of 600 youths trained in a phased manner

Thoothukudi, July 16, 2021: The number of youths seeking gainful employment has risen rapidly in the past year, with many families facing income shortages and job losses due to the pandemic. Keeping this mind, on the occasion of World Skilling Day, Sterlite Copper has launched a new Skill Development Centre under the aegis of its Tamira Muthukkal project, aimed at offering skill-based training modules to youths in and around Thoothukudi.

The centre is supported by the Vedanta Foundation, which has been actively involved in making education and skill development available and accessible to all. The major thrust of its projects are focused on making people self-reliant by providing them opportunities related to livelihood and employment.

Since 1992, the Vedanta Foundation has been helping create livelihood opportunities through its skill development centres. So far, the organisation has trained over 12 lakh youths across 180 Vedanta Rojgaar centres spread across the country. It is now launching 101 new centres in 2021-22, with the very first one being inaugurated in Thoothukudi today in association with Sterlite Copper.  The new centre will leverage the Foundation’s deep expertise in the domain of skill training and help unlock fresh opportunities for youths in Thoothukudi.

To begin with, the centre in Thoothukudi will offer courses focusing on 5 trades, namely, Sewing machine operator, Welding, General Electrics, Logistics and Food Processing, which have been identified as priority areas via the Skill Gap Assessment Report of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

Each course involves 300-400 hours of training. The set of courses offered will be further expanded based on community requirements.  All training will be conducted following strict social distancing protocols and will be a combination of online and offline classes.

In the first phase, Sterlite Copper is aiming to provide training to 600 youths, which will later be increased to 1500. They will also be supported in getting appropriate job placements, with the company committing to finding employment for at least 70% of the particpants. The training will be provided by the Vedanta Foundation in partnership with Birla Edutech Limited (Training and Placement Partner).

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. A Sumathi, COO, Sterlite Copper, said, “The future of our communities lies in the hands of our youths. I hope that their unlimited capacity to work hard and dream big will be effectively honed and channelled through these programs, which can in turn help trigger holistic development for entire communities.”

Ms. Mariammal, a resident of Sankaraperi village, has enrolled for the tailoring course, sharing “I am looking forward to starting my training and am confident that I will undertake it with full seriousness and complete it. I shall give my best efforts and am thankful to Sterlite for this opportunity.”

Ms. Muhila Devi from Rajavinkovil village, who has also enrolled for tailoring, said “It is wonderful that Sterlite Copper has undertaken this initiative at a time when many of us are facing challenges in earning income due to the pandemic. It will benefit all those who are keen on developing their skills and willing to commit the time for it.”

This initiative is a continuation of the company’s much-lauded Tamira Muthukkal skill development program which aims to ensure positive growth for local communities through the youth population. Previously, Sterlite Copper has also sponsored maritime trainings for local youth, in addition to providing scholarships to meritorious students.