DLF LIFE Skill India expands footprint : Inaugurates first centre in Punjab

CHANDIGARH, India - April 5, 2013 - PRLog -- DLF LIFE Skill India expands footprint

 Inaugurates first centre in Punjab
 
New Delhi, April 5, 2013: DLF Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DLF Limited, also working in the area of skill development and employment for the unemployed and under-employed youth, launched the DLF DB Tech Skill Centre in Dhanauran, Mullanpur, on Friday. The centre was inaugurated by Mr. Manvesh Singh Sidhu, IAS, Chief Administrator, Punjab Urban Planning & Development Authority, in the presence of Ms. Gayatri Paul, Associate Director, DLF Foundation, and Mr. Rakesh Kerwell, Director (North), DLF Limited.
The DLF Foundation has set up this centre as a part of its mandate to open 250 employability linked skill training centres across the country to train a million (ten lakh) youth. This centre has been set up in partnership with DB Tech which is a network of Don Bosco skill training centers that attempt to bridge this widening divide between those who have access to opportunities and those who are increasingly being marginalized from the ‘new economy’ jobs
Located at Village Dhanauran in Mullanpur, the DLF Tech Skill Centre Training Centre offers short-term courses in IT Enabled-services, sales & marketing, retail , ITES & security duties and plans to train about 250 youth each year. The duration of the course will be short term and will range from 2 months to 6 months depending on the course. The centre will be a boon for the local youth as they will all be provided employment thus creating livelihood for them.
More than 25 of the 250 planned DLF Skills Centres are already operational across the country. Nearly 20 of these centres will be opened in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
In the wake of the Union Budget 2013-14 and the Economic survey, the Government has allocated INR 1,000 crores for the skill development of youth. As a part of the agenda, the National Skill Development Corporation has decided to train 5 crore people in the current plan. Assisting the Government and NSDC in their noble initiative, DLF Foundation in collaboration with several partners which Laurus Edutech, Labournet, Empower Pragati & Don Bosco has set up DLF LIFE Skill India Centres across the country.
Lauding the initiative undertaken by DLF Foundation, Mr. Manvesh Singh Sidhu, IAS, Chief Administrator, Punjab Urban Planning & Development Authority said- “We are aware of the lacunae in the skilling industry and  it is praiseworthy that  players like DLF Foundation have  come forth to address the problem. The key objective of these initiatives should be to create jobs for the under- privileged. I hope more private sector organisations in the country emulate DLF Foundation in  setting up quality training institutes like this one at Mullanpur with well-trained faculty imparting the much needed training in the skills required by industry.”
Ms. Gayatri Paul, Associate Director- Programmes, Head of the Skill Development Department of DLF Foundation stated- “I am happy to be inaugurating this centre at Mulanpur and I am sure that this employment linked training will enable the unskilled youth to attain the industry required skill sets and pave the way for India’s economic growth. These centre launches are a part of our flagship ‘Skill a Million’ programme which we had started in 2011 for the disadvantaged youth. We have received tremendous response up till now and the successfully trained students have been already placed & earning a livelihood for themselves.”
Present at the launch, Mr. Rakesh Kerwell, Director (North) said- “In today’s knowledge economy, talent & skills of the youth form the base of a strong nation. This is a vital component to address the challenges and opportunities for growth in this extremely competitive and globalised world. Hence, I am sure that these small steps undertaken by organizations like DLF Foundation will contribute to build a better nation.”    
Speaking on the occasion, Father Jose, Director of DB Tech said- “We are delighted to be associated with a partner like DLF Foundation which is committed to addressing the issue of skill gap in the country .We sincerely hope that this centre would benefit from the know how & expertise of DB Tech and help the local youth fulfill their job aspirations..”
DLF Foundation was set up with the express mission of empowering communities & creating opportunities for the underprivileged in areas of Education, Skill Development, cluster-village development and healthcare.  These four sectors were identified as DLF believes that they are integral to the upliftment & better quality of life for the economically challenged sections of society.