On the map: slum youths in demand and jobs in supply…..Shweta Desai

Smart-but-out-of-a-job youngsters living in Mumbai’s suburban slums can look forward to landing work assignments.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun an ‘employment mapping’ project, to identify demand trends and to train underprivileged slum youths accordingly. The BMC will tie up with private organisations to train youths in work, basic spoken English and personality development. The civic administration is already getting enquiries from companies willing to hire these candidates.

The first step was a market scan carried out through November-December in 150 IT companies, factories and companies as well as residences and stores between Bandra and Borivali. The study threw up a mixed bag: People needed customer relations support (for malls and big retail shops), security personnel, hospital attendants, those skilled in IT-enabled services, women drivers and office boys.

“It was necessary to identify what the employment market demand was. We will now train aspirants in these sectors,” said joint municipal commissioner (Improvements) V Radha, who is heading the project for BMC under its Aadhar Kendra (service centres) project.

The BMC will provide a platform to women’s self-help groups and unemployed youths to link the services they offer to those who may want them. The first two centres, in Andheri and Vile Parle, will be inaugurated in a few months. The employment mapping was centred around these locations

The All-India Institute of Local Self Government is helping in the mapping and will also aid the civic body and in training candidates. “We are working closely with the BMC’s urban poor department. After scanning the candidates, we will counsel them on the jobs they are suitable for and then train them,” said Medha Joshi, project co-coordinator for the institute.

Candidates will be divided into batches of 20 for the training. The BMC is in talks with Forsche, a women’s taxi service, to train women drivers and Dr Reddy’s Foundation, the social arm of Dr Reddy’s Laboratory, Hyderabad), for IT-enabled services and facilitation managers.

“We have a three-month course on spoken English and personality development,” said project coordinator (Urban Poor), DRF, Priti Kibe.

THE SCHEME

In demand: Customer relations staff at malls, security personnel, hospital attendants, skilled personnel for IT-enabled services, women drivers, office boys

In supply: Smart unemployed youths from Mumbai’s slums

How it works: Identify jobs and youths, train them in work, English and personality development, get them recruited

URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/on-the-map-slum-youths-in-demand-and-jobs-in-supply/408454/