Corporate social responsibility, commonly known as CSR, gained momentum in the 1960s is today the ‘part and parcel’ of strategic decision-making for many corporates and SMEs. The endeavor of participating in social welfare initiatives and activities that benefit society by the corporate and business community has been shaping India’s bright future.
The government of India has been implementing various programs and schemes for the upliftment of socially and economically backward communities. But only government initiatives cannot alone solve India’s big poverty problem. Corporate social responsibility mandates and supplements government endeavors for social upliftment.
Organisations through CSR not only help in nation-building but also position themselves as socially conscious brand in the process.
Why are CSR Partnerships Important for Smile Foundation’s Work?
Smile Foundation, since 2001, is actively involved in a multitude of activities directed towards the economic, social, and moral upliftment of underserved communities in India, especially in the areas of education, healthcare, women empowerment, and skill development. Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP) is the nonprofit’s initiative in creating livelihood opportunities for underserved youth through dedicated skill development and employment-centric programs.
Smile Foundation has been creating avenues for CSR partnerships, partnering with socially-conscious organisations to change India’s economic and social landscape. Under its STeP program, the nonprofit has trained over 90000 youth and facilitated the placement of 56000 in over 400 respectable brands across India. The majority of the beneficiaries are women. With CSR partners in this program, the figures can be rapidly raised further, especially when the nation has the youngest demographic in the world and is hungry to start contributing to making India one of the strongest economies in the world.
The STeP Training Program
What do employers look for in an employee? Skill sets related to the industry and a ‘ready-to-deliver’ attitude! The majority of the youth population of India currently lacks both, thus widening the gap between the demand and supply of skilled human power in myriad industry segments.
Smile Foundation’s STeP program is directed towards equipping the youth of India from the underserved sections of society with the required skill sets and employment-centric qualities, making them easily employable in sectors ranging from retail, and hospitality to BPO. The nonprofit’s aim is to create a pool of ‘ready-to-deliver’ talents, trained to meet the employers’ criteria perfectly and immediately. Through this program, Smile Foundation is committed to bridging the gap between demand and supply of skilled human power.
STeP program encompasses the following:
- Skill enhancement in sync with market requirements
- Proficiency in English
- Basic computer education
- Soft skills training (personality development and grooming, communication skill enhancement, etc.)
- Curriculum for retail and basic management
- General Duty Assistant (GDA) Course
- BFSI Training
- Digital Marketing Skills
- BPO
- Employer engagement sessions
- Industry exposure visits
Why STeP as an Avenue for CSR Partnership?
Half of India’s graduates are unemployable according to a recent study. With illiteracy and unemployment affecting the general youth in general and underserved youth in particular, India still has a long way to go in achieving overall economic growth. The key reason behind such an alarmingly poor figure is a lack of skilled knowledge, a figure that can be improved upon greatly if the country collectively puts useful and advanced resources into skilling its youth.
Today, CSR is a part of most organisations business model, textured into its value system – of creating a positive impact in society while doing business. Partnering with Smile Foundation, organisations can deliver impactful corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals, especially in economically empowering the youth. Organisations supporting the STeP program as a CSR partner will help create a big pool of employable underserved youth across India. Not only will they facilitate the livelihood of thousands and lakhs of youth but also contribute a big way towards shaping India’s growth story.
The Success of the STeP Program Depends on Valuable CSR Partnerships
Retail Management, Healthcare, BFSI, Digital Marketing, and BPO are five of the fastest-growing sectors in India. So is the increasing requirement for soft-skilled human power. CSR partnerships can go a long way in economically empowering more youth across India.
By creating sustainable livelihood opportunities and enhancing employment prospects, the STeP CSR partnership program can empower the youth. The higher the number of CSR partners for this initiative, the faster will be the economic prosperity of the nation. Our livelihood program is aligned with the state’s Skill India Mission and Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8 (SDG 4 & 8) related to sections on skill development and economic empowerment.
