Positive economic mobility can significantly change lives by providing better opportunities and stability. A case in point is Pritam, an example of how skill development initiatives can transform lives. Coming from a small village near Kolkata, with financial constraints due to poor farming conditions, Pritam's story is one of improvement through the customer care program offered by Generation India. This employment nonprofit supported him in 2023, leading to a job with mPokket and improved financial stability.
The World Bank highlights that global poverty reduction has become stagnant, indicating a lost decade for 2020-2030, as many remain far from accessing good-paying jobs. Generation, a global nonprofit network, works to address this by providing training, placement, and support across 17 countries, including significant growth in India with the help of the World Bank.
India's demographic situation presents a chance to involve young people in economic activities through skilling, education, and job pathways. The Government of India's investment in short-term skilling programs aims to tackle unemployment. Project AMBER, initiated in 2021, is a collaboration between the Indian government and Generation India to enhance employment outcomes. Supported by the National Skill Development Corporation and part of a World Bank-funded program, it focuses on skill acquisition and knowledge awareness.
Generation employs a detailed methodology that includes job mobilization, training, and placement services. It collaborates with 25 technical and vocational education and training providers and NSDC to improve job retention metrics. Project AMBER has certified about 24,000 young adults, a significant number of whom have moved onto employment soon after graduation. An independent evaluation suggests program participants are three times more likely to gain employment compared to their peers not in the program.
Project AMBER is scaling up to support around 100,000 young adults in three years through the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, the main government skills initiative. The World Bank's initial involvement demonstrated the potential of this model, prompting increased investment from the Indian government.
Generation's outcomes in India reflect its global success with more than 130,000 graduates across various countries, maintaining a high employment rate post-program.
"Generation showed me a way when I was lost," says Pritam. "Now, I have direction. Generation has changed my life considerably."