“Do not
wait; the time will never be “just
right”. Start where you stand,
and work with whatever tools you may
have at your command, and better tools
will be found as you go along.”
--- Napoleon Hill
Smile Twin
e-Learning – An Introduction
The SMILE Twin e-Learning Project is
an effort towards creating a pool of
independent youth living with dignity
from the underprivileged section through
skill enhancement in tandem with market
requirements. The project aims at preparing
urban underprivileged (adolescent youths)
with skills in English Proficiency,
Basic Computer Education and Soft Skills
for enhancing their prospects of employment
in fast expanding sectors like retail
outlets, hospitality and BPOs sectors.
In the first phase, SMILE is establishing
40 centres across India. With the intention
of providing youth with gainful employment
in their nearby towns/ cities and to
reduce migration of youth to larger
cities, the project plans to cover 25,
000 youths in the first phase through
these centres.
The curriculum of the
course has been specially designed with
industry inputs and their requirements.
To bridge the skill divide among the
target beneficiaries and industry requirement,
the indigenously developed curriculum
covers:
• Basic Computers
and BUSY Accounting package
• Spoken English proficiency
• Basic Management skills with
focus on Retail Sales Management
• Team work and Leadership Skill
Development
Personality Development
• Career Opportunities Guidance
and Counseling
• Gender Issues
• Reproductive & Sexual Health,
HIV/AIDS
Besides computer training
and course lectures, interactive sessions
on soft skills and industry knowledge
by practicing professionals will be
imparted. All students would be undergoing
internship training to equip them with
practical experience to connect theory
to practice.
“We are very happy to have Smile Foundation as our partner under the Microsoft Unlimited Potential – Community Technology Skills Program. The partnership will enable us to impart basic computer literacy to underserved youth through the Twin e-Learning centres across many states of the country, while also providing English language training, other soft skills, and placement assistance for jobs in fast expanding sectors of the economy. We trust this project will successfully build capacity of thousands of youth and help bridge the digital divide in the country.” Dr. Vikas Goswami,
Manager, Community Affairs
Microsoft India
.............................................................................................
Microsoft. is new CSR partner of Smile
Microsoft has formally
collaborated with Smile Foundation
as a funding partner under its corporate
social responsibility initiative.
Microsoft is supporting one of Smile’s
national level programmes named
‘Smile Twin e-Learning Project’
[STeP] which focuses on technology
skills building for employment generation
of underprivileged youth.
Nikhil Bhargava, M. Tech. IIT-Delhi,
Principal Engineer, Hughes Systique Corporation
The satisfaction
and pride in helping those
who are less fortunate than
me, is the single most important
reason that propelled me to
volunteer for community service.
I believe that rendering donations
alone is not enough, one has
to commit his time and effort
for the cause he feels strongly
about.
I always
believed in upliftment of
so called "weaker sections"
and when I came across SMILE
and got to learn about its
e-Learning programme which
provides vocational education
to youth, I decided to help
strengthen the noble cause
and believe me nothing in
this world can be more satisfying
then to help someone walk
the road called life.
The feeling
of fulfillment can be endless.
It gives me a sense of responsibility;
inculcate patience, tolerance
and feeling of sacrifice within
me.
I feel that
if each of us can contribute
some part of our life to the
community, then there will
be nothing like "underprivileged"
or "weaker sections" and the
world at large will be a better
place to live.
The
Beneficiaries
Under-privileged Adolescent
Youth with a minimum qualification of
12th from recognized Boards/Institutions
would be eligible for this course of six
months.
Employment Scenario
- The Challenge
Initial surveys and studies conducted
by Smile reveal that the employment scenario
in India is not only of booming markets
and soaring opportunities but also of
the subtle and almost immature gap between
the job seekers and the industrial requirements.
Though the country has the largest pool
of young population waiting to take on
the growing global tendencies of employment
opportunities, the darker side of the
picture is that, there are very few who
have the required eligibility and skills
being sought after by the employers. And
this gap is becoming perpetual with time.
The Financial Express reports
that only 15% of the graduates coming
out of colleges are employable, the rest
being branded ‘unemployable’.
This is not for the lack of theoretical
knowledge but for the lack of the right
attitude and skills. There
is hence an increasing concern among employers
towards lack of ready-to-deliver employees
not foregoing the increased attrition
rate which is almost 30% or more at present.
The resultant widespread unemployment
will lead to growing social stress and
turmoil in the society, putting the nation’s
growth prospects out of track.
Partners
Twin e-learning Programme is being set
up in partnership with Educational Institutions,
Corporates, Not for Profit Organization
and Corporate Trusts.
Assurance of Employment
Career guidance and employment
of the beneficiaries would be facilitated
by forming linkages with the local employers/industry.
Smile Foundation shall further enhance
the process at the National level through
its own network.
We appreciate the above companies who have recruited students from SMILE Twin e-Learning Projects across India : Westside, NOKIA, HDFC Bank, Fun Cinema, Croma, Cafe Coffee Day, Big Bazaar, to name a few.
HONOURABLE
UNION MINISTER INAUGURATES THE PROGRAMME
AT NATIONAL LEVEL
Sh. Mani Shankar Aiyar,
Union Minister of Panchayati Raj, Youth
Affairs & Sports, Govt. of India,
formally launching SMILE Twin e-Learning
Programme in New Delhi on August 10, 2007.
The launch ceremony was accompanied by
a 2-day training programme for instrictors
and represntatives from all 38 centres
from across India.
“SMILE Twin e-Learning is a unique
initiative and it only addresses the most
crucial problems of our times i.e. employability.
Simultaneously it has a larger ramification
in like addressing the issues of local
terrorism, misuse of the prime time of
our youth,” said the Minister.
UPS Employees
as Volunteers in Smile Twin e-learning
Centres
Around fourteen employees
of UPS joined Smile Twin e-Learning Centres
in New Delhi as volunteers for a whole
day, taking a little time off from their
daily work schedule.
Incidentally, UPS Foundation
Inc. is supporting these two projects
under its CSR partnership with Smile Foundation.
These two centres are located at Ashram
and Badarpur in New Delhi, which are being
implemented through two local partners
namely NOW and Prerana, respectively.
