On World Youth Skills Day,
Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, reaffirmed its
commitment to youth empowerment by announcing the expansion of its skill
development initiatives across its locations. These programs aim to enhance the
skillsets of rural youth, transitioning them from unskilled to semi-skilled
categories through placement-linked training programs. Towards this goal, the
company has collaborated with several coveted training institutions like the
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Odisha Skill
Development Authority (OSDA), and Skill Development Institute (SDI) among
others. Through these efforts, Vedanta Aluminium is aiding youth across India
in achieving sustainable livelihoods and contributing to the socio-economic
development of their communities and the nation.
Following a robust skilling
framework, Vedanta Aluminium has trained nearly 14,000 youth through its skill
development initiatives and institutional collaborations so far. As trainees
gain experience and improve their skills, they become eligible for
higher-paying job opportunities, offering them secure employment and the
potential for salary growth over time. The visible success of these trainees
inspires a learning culture, encouraging more individuals in the region to
enrol in the programs, fostering continuous improvement. By covering trades
that are in constant demand within the market, the training programs ensure
sustainable employment prospects that meet ongoing industry needs.
John
Slaven, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, said, “Skilling the
younger population is integral to our vision of elevating the socio-economic
status of regions where we operate. By equipping them with market-relevant
skills and fostering a culture of continuous learning, we are not only helping
them to secure their future but also bringing remote areas of the country to
the socio-economic mainstream. To date, we have trained 14,000 youth, and on
World Youth Skills Day, we reiterate our commitment to bridging skill gaps and
creating opportunities to help shape the next generation of leaders and
innovators in India."
Vedanta's
skilling programs in Odisha span multiple locations:
- Around its alumina refinery
operations in Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district (Odisha), Vedanta Aluminium aims
to upgrade the skills of 3,500 youth over the next three years, in partnership with OSDA and Vedanta’s
collaboration with NABARD.
- Skill training centres at
Lanjigarh and Bhawanipatna offer training courses for roles in food and
beverage, hospitality, and electrical maintenance, to name a few. Graduates of
these programs have secured placements with prominent organizations such as
Club Mahindra, Minerva Group of Hotels and Restaurants, Honda showrooms, and
Sarovar Hotels and Resorts. In this fiscal year, the program saw a successful
placement percentage of 77%.
- At the aluminium plant in
Jharsuguda, Odisha, the company has collaborated with Ashok Leyland and the
State Government for the light motor vehicle and heavy motor vehicle training
program. Many of the trainees are employed at Vedanta’s operations and in
nearby industries.
- Vedanta also provides
technical training for youth in mechatronics, mechanical and electrical
services at the World Skill Centre, Bhubaneswar.
- At its mining operations at
Jamkhani in Sundargarh, Odisha, Vedanta Aluminium has partnered with SDI,
Bhubaneswar and the State Institute of Hotel Management, Balangir, to train
more than 60 candidates across various programs. These programs have been
successful, with majority of the trained candidates already securing relevant
jobs post-training.
At
Chhatisgarh, where Vedanta has a manufacturing facility in Korba,
- Its unit, BALCO, is
imparting vocational training to rural youth, dropouts, and unemployed
population through three centres of Vedanta Skill School. The schools impart
skilling in relevant trades like electrical maintenance, welding, hospitality,
fitter and solar technician, and link them with gainful employment
opportunities. In FY24, a staggering 81% of trainees secured jobs or pursued
entrepreneurship after training.
In
Andhra Pradesh, where Vedanta runs the Vizag General Cargo Berth (VGCB) port
operations,
- The company has
collaborated with the Vedanta Foundation to establish a cutting-edge computer
lab at Queen Mary Government High School. The lab has empowered over 11,00
young beneficiaries, significantly bridging the digital divide in the area.
- It has also partnered with
Centre of Excellence for Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS) for the training
and placement of 100 youth as computer numerical control (CNC) operators,
electricians and inventory controllers, with the inventory controller training
batch comprising only female candidates.
Vedanta Aluminium, a
business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium,
manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in
FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical
applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P
Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the
aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. With
its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India,
the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium
as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
