Lava, mobile handset maker, has rolled out a ‘learn-and-earn’ scheme for youth seeking employment in India’s rural regions not just with the company but outside as well.
Rural youth “will be trained at the company’s Noida manufacturing unit for up to three years”, said Lava International chairman Hari Om Rai. “Overall, we will be employing 50,000 people directly in our manufacturing operations.” Noida-based Lava is among India’s top five handset makers.
Having tied up with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), the initiative includes a monthly scholarship to students at three different levels of certification in Electronic Manufacturing Service (EMS) for mobile devices that include diploma, advanced diploma, and Bachelor of Vocational degree (B-Voc). The students will be given in-classroom training as well as on the shop floor in accordance with the curriculum designed jointly by TISS and the industry. “After completion of training, the students shall be available for employment at Lava or other companies in the electronic manufacturing sector,” Lava chairman said.
Eligibility for the programme will be anyone who has cleared the intermediate (Class XII) exam, and is between 18 and 20 years can apply, he said.
The Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) and Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) are already working in tandem with the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) to create a necessary talent pool in the electronics sector. The company plans to spend Rs 2,615 crore in the next 5 to 8 years on manufacturing, and plans to provide direct employment to as many as 50,000 individuals in its facilities over time. The company is aiming to touch a production capacity of 216 million device units annually by 2021. It currently employs close to 7,000 people.
Lava is investing in two green field manufacturing projects that include one in North India at Yamuna Expressway for which 25 acres of land has already been allotted by the UP government and it has another 20 acres of land in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The company’s plans are in line with the government’s Skill India initiative which is seen as a vital element for its mega Make in India initiative to equip manpower with the relevant skill set.
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