New Delhi : Under Smile Foundation’s Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP), 13 new centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurgaon have started functioning with effect from 1st of April 2015. Out of the 13 STeP centres, 10 centres are being supported by Ericsson and three by FIS. Smile Foundation is now operating a total of 45 STeP centres across India.
Smile Twin e-Learning Programme, launched in 2007, provides access to education to underprivileged youth through training in basic computer, telecom and retail sales management skills – along with proficiency in spoken and written English. The curriculum also includes sessions on personal development, career counselling and placement support.
More than 1500 urban underprivileged youth will be directly benefitted through these 13 new STeP centres alone.
Under this Smile Foundation-Ericsson partnership, 20 more STeP centres in Gurgaon, Noida, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata are being set up and will function soon. Further, in collaboration with FIS, five more STeP centres will begin its operations in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Chandigarh.
Speaking about the launch of new centres, Mr. Vikram Singh Verma, COO, Smile Foundation says, “Knowledge of market-oriented job skills such as English, basic computer, personality development, retail management, relevant soft skills etc. is essential in seeking a job. For the underprivileged youth in our country, there is an urgent need of employability training that demands addressing. We would like to thank Ericsson and FIS for helping us extending our reach further.”
Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP) is a national level livelihood programme of Smile Foundation that trains urban underprivileged youth with market-oriented job skills such as English, basic computer, personality development, retail management, relevant soft skills etc and makes them employed in retail and service sectors across India. So far, more than 16,000 youth have been trained and 11,500 have been placed in over 140 brands across India. Most of the youth, both girls and boys, have become the first generation blue-collar workers in their families.