CSR Initiative: Alstom Launches Community Training Intervention, To Benefit Over 3,000 Women And Youth Of Madhepura

Aiming at providing employment opportunities, the French rolling-stock major Alstom, which is manufacturing high horsepower locomotives in Madhepura, has launched vocational training for those who have minimal education or have dropped out.

As part of it's corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, Alstom has identified a crucial need for industry-ready skill development in Madhepura and partnered with SEEDS Impact, an NGO.

This initiative aims to address the pressing need of focusing on skill development among the youth and women in seven villages around its manufacturing site in Madhepura.

Madhepura has remained one of the endemic districts of Bihar for many decades and is also one of the poorest districts of eastern Bihar.

The district, with more than 90 per cent rural population, is located in the plains of Kosi River and often affected by flood, famines, and drought.

It is also one of the 256 districts in India identified as High Priority Districts including aspirational, under the National health Mission. The district falls into this list owing to the weak public health infrastructure to support the communities.

The female literacy rates (41.7 per cent) and total literacy rates (52.3 per cent) for the district are lower as compared to the Bihar state’s female literacy rate (51.5 per cent) and total literacy rate (61.8 per cent).

The primary goal of this intervention, which will impact more than 12,000 individuals, is to provide vocational training endorsed by the industry, to youth who have either dropped out of school or have minimal education.

The economy of the district mainly depends upon agriculture. It has seen several ups and downs perpetuated by Kosi in the form of flood, famine and drought. There are no big industrial set-ups in the district and hence very few job opportunities in the district for the youth.

Preparing the unemployed youth for skilled jobs, Alstom India is imparting training on sewing machine operation, solar PV installation and electrician trade. The initiative intends to certify the trainees and assist them in securing employment, thereby integrating them into the workforce and providing them with both social and economic empowerment.

The project, which aims to reach around 300 rural youth, has set a target to ensure that at least 70 per cent of the certified youth are offered employability opportunities.

This ambitious goal is to be achieved through a phased approach that includes the establishment of a dedicated skilling centre, the deployment of a trained team, the identification and selection of candidates, and subsequently, their training and placement.

The skilling centre, equipped with four training classrooms and an IT lab, has already completed training for two batches.

The first batch focused on assistant electrician training, engaging 33 candidates, while the second batch trained 30 women in sewing machine operations.

Placement for candidates in the assistant electrician trade has been successfully accomplished, while efforts are ongoing to secure placements for the women trained in the sewing machine operator trade.

Alstom India's partnership with SEEDS Impact, stands as a testament to their commitment to empowering the local community by providing valuable vocational skills and opening pathways to employment.

This initiative not only addresses the immediate need for skilled labour, but also plays a pivotal role in uplifting the social and economic landscape of the region.

Alstom India has also partnered with the American-India Foundation (AIF) Trust for reducing anaemia and improving menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls in Madhepura, Bihar.

Anaemia and poor menstrual hygiene practices considerably impact adolescents in the form of reduced mental and physical capacity and reduction in work and educational performance.

The intervention carried out as a part of Alstom’s CSR commitment will engage around 2,500 adolescent girls from the rural areas of Madhepura for increasing awareness around anaemia and menstrual health.

The intervention includes sensitisation and orientation of adolescent girls, distribution of lucky iron leaf (natural source of iron) and reusable sanitary napkins too.

With Alstom’s support, AIF will work towards achieving improved menstrual health and improved educational attainment of adolescents.

AIF, founded in 2001 is committed to catalysing social and economic change in India, and building a lasting bridge between the US and India through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development.