On World Youth Skills Day, BALCO’s Vedanta Skills School celebrates its transformative journey
15th July 2023
Balconagar; 15th July 2023: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer and a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium, marked World Youth Skills Day by organizing a celebration with the trainees at Vedanta Skill School, highlighting the importance of skills in empowering the youth. The celebrations featured a wide array of activities, including motivational videos, competitions, safety quizzes, and legal literacy sessions, all aimed at nurturing their growth and development. Over 90 trainees enthusiastically participated in the festivities, centered on recognizing the potential that lies in acquiring and honing essential skills.
Established with the core objective of providing vocational training to the youth, Vedanta Skill School has been making significant strides in transforming the lives of rural youth, dropouts, and the unemployed population in Chhattisgarh today. Since its inception in 2011 in Korba, the skill school has expanded its operations to Kawardha and Mainpat in 2017-18, further enhancing its reach and impact across the region.
Through a meticulously designed curriculum, the Vedanta Skill School focuses on imparting practical and industry-relevant skills in several trades. It provides free residential training in six trades, including food & beverage, welding, sewing machine operation, solar PV technician, electrician, and fitter. The training program, which lasts for 45-60 days, is designed in accordance with the guidelines of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The school also collaborates with government schemes like Mukhya Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (MMKVY), NABARD, Skill India Impact Bond (SIIB), and the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) to ensure effective implementation.
Vedanta Skill School prioritizes creating a conducive environment for the growth and development of its students. The skill school’s hybrid classrooms provide a conducive learning environment that combines practical and theoretical approaches. With a total of 17 core faculty members and 15 visiting faculty, the trainees have access to a diverse range of expertise and experience to aid in their journey. Recognizing that securing a job is just the beginning of a successful career, the School ensures support for trainees even after they are placed, through post-placement tracking.
The program surpasses mere technical skills by placing a strong emphasis on the comprehensive development of students’ personalities. In addition to honing their technical abilities, life skills sessions are conducted to foster their holistic growth, covering topics such as communication, safety, legal rights, and menstrual health. Moreover, students receive sessions from experienced BALCO employees too, who serve as mentors and facilitators, sharing their expertise and real-world insights to help students develop these vital skills.
Appreciating the efforts made under Vedanta Skill School, Mr. Rajesh Kumar, CEO, and Director BALCO, said, “At Vedanta, we firmly believe that sustainable livelihood development is the cornerstone of our commitment to community development. We recognize that the youth hold the key to shaping the future of Chhattisgarh and India. With the right skills and education, they can unlock tremendous potential. Through the Vedanta Skill Schools, we aim to create pathways for skill development among the local youth, providing them with opportunities to acquire employable skills that ensure their financial security and holistic growth. BALCO is dedicated to empowering the community by equipping them with the resources to transform their lives.”
Annu Mahanand, a trainee from Food & Beverage Trade showed his gratitude and said, “I wholeheartedly recommend Vedanta Skill School to anyone seeking a comprehensive and practical education that will pave the way for a successful career. The faculty members here go above and beyond to create a conducive learning environment, where students are encouraged to explore their potential and excel in their chosen fields. The program genuinely cares about the success of each student and are always available to guide and mentorship.”
The program has made a significant impact on the lives of numerous individuals in the state till date. Since its inception, a total of 10,789 trainees have received training, equipping them with valuable skills for their future endeavors. In the fiscal year 2023, 1,007 individuals benefited from the program, with an impressive 59% of them being female candidates. A total of 76% (765 trainees) have been placed in various organizations in various locations across India including states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
About BALCO:
Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) is a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, operating a 0.57 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Korba, Chhattisgarh. It is part of Vedanta’s Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, which is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium, i.e., 2.42 million tonnes in FY25. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading 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. For more information, please log on to www.balcoindia.com
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Disclaimer:
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” – that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “should” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil
& Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver,
Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and
Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building.
Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong
focus on health, safety, and environment. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is
focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. Under the aegis of Vedanta Cares, the
flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars have been set up as model anganwadis focused on
eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with
skill development. Vedanta and its group companies have been featured in Dow Jones
Sustainability Index 2020, and were conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020,
CII Environmental Best Practices Award 2020, CSR Health Impact Award 2020, CII National
Award 2020 for Excellence in Water Management, CII Digital Transformation Award 2020, ICSI
National Award 2020 for excellence in Corporate Governance, People First HR Excellence Award
2020, ‘Company with Great Managers 2020’ by People Business and certified as a Great Place
to Work 2021. Vedanta’s flagship Nand Ghar Project was identified as best CSR project by the
Government of Rajasthan. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the
National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
