Pace – Vocational Skills Training and Employment Program

 
This program is targeted at the economically disadvantaged youth in the 18-30 year age group. India has a large percentage of youth who have not been able to complete their formal education and also do not have the required vocational skills to be gainfully employed. At the same time, there is a large percentage of youth who are underemployed due to the lack of awareness about the opportunities in the market.

 
Pratham’s Skills Training Program tries to
Train youth in market relevant skills such as banking, agriculture, hospitality etc. and Help them start their own businesses.

 
This program was started in 2005 and currently there are 25 centers across 16 districts Maharashtra. Over 5000 youth have been trained. Pratham has partnered with Larsen & Turbo to give training in the construction industry, with Taj Hotels to give training in hospitality industry, with Godrej Agrovet to give training in Agriculture and Deutsche Bank to give training in Banking and Financial Services. The program is also training youth in basic foundational skills to make them more employable & more trainable. Pratham has collaborated with several mahila mandals to set up and run grassroot vocational training centres in rural and semi-urban areas. Training is also given to youth languishing in prisons as undertrials. The entrepreneurship development program, started with the support of Barclays Bank, is progressing and supported more and more appropriately – identified entrepreneurs in rural parts of Maharashtra.