DLF Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DLF Limited, has launched the DLF Labournet Skill Centre in Indore to bridge the skill gap in India by imparting skill based training to the youth in the informal sector and provide them sustainable benefits and generate employment.

The centre was inaugurated by Mahesh Srivastava, Indore Head, DLF Limited in the presence of Anand N, Regional Manager – West, LabourNet and Nitin Seth, DGM – Placements.

Situated at Mangal Nagar, the DLF LabourNet Skill Training Centre offers courses in hair and beauty care, marketing, electrical and computer training. The centre imparts industry relevant vocational skills training through unique training models evenly spread across the curriculum and includes on-site earn and learn platforms. The training modules are simple to understand and are taught to enable students get industry-appropriate jobs.

The rising need of skilled workers has coerced the Indian government to make a provision and allocate budgets to support various institutions including National Skill Development Corporation to impart skill training. In the wake of recent Union Budget 2013-14 and the Economic survey, the Government has allocated INR 1,000 crore for the skill development for the youth. As a part of the agenda, the National Skill Development Corporation has decided to train 5 crore people in the current plan. The government has also set a target to skill approximately 500 million people in the next 10 years and has devised a monetary reward worth INR 10,000 on the successful completion of vocational course in order to encourage more and more individuals to enroll and benefit themselves to earn a livelihood and in turn lessen the skill gap. The Indore centre is an effort by DLF Foundation and LabourNet in the same direction to contribute their bit to bridge the skill gap and in turn helping the economy grow and prosper.
DLF Foundation’s major flagship initiative ‘Skill a million’ programme specifically caters to the bottom end of the pyramid by providing them technical education at a very nominal and affordable cost. It undertakes its philanthropic causes on a serious note by empowering individuals to bridge the socio?economic divide.

While inaugurating the centre, Mahesh Srivastava, Indore Head, DLF Limited said, “I am delighted to inaugurate this centre and be able to reach out to the youth through this program. After analyzing the skill gap in our country, this is an excellent move to train our youth in the much needed industry skills. Ours is a service-oriented economy and we no longer can afford to just rely on our formal system of education. There is a dire need to weave vocational training in the mainstream education but by the time that happens we are training the youth with basic skills for them to make a decent living. Our courses are employment linked and the training and certifications are such that all our students land a job even before the completion of the courses. This is our 26th centre and we plan to set up 250 skill training centres in the next decade to train one million youth under our coveted ‘Skill a million’ programme.”

Present at the launch, Anand N, Regional Manager–West, LabourNet said, “Our association with DLF Foundation has been fruitful till date and we are positive that we would be able to replicate our past centre success at Indore centre as well. The programmes offered by us analyze new skill requirements in the labour market and contribute to nurturing skills and promoting employment, as well as help to set standards, develop curriculum and certification, improve the social status of workers and promote lifelong learning.”