DISHA project by the ACC has trained 200 rural youth from the tribal villages of Jharkhand, making them employable. DISHA, part of ACC’s CSR initiative, aims to eliminate unemployment among people in host communities and provides training for self-employment in areas such as automotive technicians, electricians, life skills, sewing machine operators, pickers, and packers.
DISHA aims to provide the necessary training and education to make people employable across different skills and industries. In the eight tribal villages surrounding the company’s manufacturing plant at Chaibasa in Jharkhand, the initiative drives rural communities' development by addressing local youth's unemployment, particularly dropout children.
DISHA recently completed the skill development training and successfully placed the candidates at leading organisations like Mother & Sons Sumi, Grofers, Big Basket, Welspun and Shahi Exports in Bengaluru. To date, more than 200 candidates have benefited from the DISHA project.
When it comes to problem-solving, DISHA follows the participatory rural appraisal study of communities followed by a collection of household data that facilitates micro planning, counselling facilities, soft skills and digital skills development are also part of the programme, in addition to engaging with the local Panchayat members, who are critical stakeholders of villages. Some of its other outreach programmes to the underprivileged focus on digital and financial literacy, soft skills, personality and overall development.
ACC Limited, Chaibasa continued its journey and inaugurated a new batch of trades graced by Mr Ananya Mittal, District Collector, West Singhbhum, in the presence of Mr Raj Gurung, Plant Director of Chaibasa Cement Works, to provide skill training to 70 candidates. District Commissioner was pleased to mention that West Singhbhum District is progressing rapidly under the program “Transformation of Aspirational Districts” launched by the Prime Minister, which aims to quickly and effectively transform some of the most underdeveloped districts of the country. District Commissioner also appreciated the contribution of ACC Limited in this regard. He said that the participation of the youth would motivate others from the tribal area to come forward.
Sridhar Balakrishnan, MD & CEO, ACC Limited, said: “At ACC, our goal has always been clear: to transform lives and create a better world. We try to achieve the same by enabling marginalised households to access gainful self-employment, creating opportunities for youth development, and promoting equality through participation and inclusion of all individuals, groups and communities.”
The outreach programme also helps mobilise employment with many governments and social security schemes, like the Shram card and zero-balance Jan Dhan bank accounts.