An ode to our ‘Skills Champions’, who are inspiring & encouraging many young Indians & leading the skills mission from the front

BITUPAN BARUAH

Trade: Assistant Electrician

Employer: Shobha Developers, Bangalore

Annual Income: Rs. 2,16,000

“I felt embarrassed asking my parents for my daily expenses, more so because I was well aware of the financial situation at home, my parents being the only earners in the family, working hard as daily wagers; but what could I do, as I was a school dropout, and the employment options were minimal,” says Bitupan Baruah from Sivasagar, Assam. However, destiny took a turn for the better, and Bitupan met some community mobilizers. He reminisces about how there were many courses to choose from, and finally settling for the Certificate Programme for an Electrician

Post the successful completion of the course, a job offer, as assistant electrician followed. “My happiness knew no bounds; imagine the journey from being unskilled and jobless to being skilled and gainfully employed! I am happy with the work environment, and best of all, I can support my family too,” adds Bitupan. His parents must be proud of their son, who despite all odds, has succeeded in carving a career path for himself

KUKIL GOGOI

Trade: Assistant Electrician

Employer: Subham Insulation, Visakhapatnam

Annual Income: Rs. 2,04,000

An important component of democracy is community participation. The participation of the community requires, at times, community mobilization too, which plays an important role in generating awareness among people, besides other aspects. One such instance was that of Kukil Gogoi from Charaideo

Kulkil’s story was not very different from some his peers. “I wanted to support my family financially, which is why I decided to do something that would help me learn and, subsequently, earn. I decided to undertake training as an electrician.” Learning a skill not only enhance income opportunities, but also the self-confidence of the individual, who has been skilled

A skill honed can open possibilities, which one could never have imagined existed. This is what happened with Kukil Gogoi too; post his training, his earnings now suffice to help his family financially, which was his dream. Indeed, skilling not only secures the financial independence factor, but also helps in the holistic development of the individual