http://www.deccanherald.com/content/200530/transforming-employment-exchanges-human-resource.html

N V Vijayakumar and Umesh M Avvannavar
The Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation Ltd (KVTSDC) is taking head on the challenge of bettering the future of the youth of Karnataka.By transforming employment exchanges into Human Resources Development (HRD) centres, KVTSDC, under the State Labour Ministry, is silently sowing the seeds of a revolution in the State’s employment market.

According to KVTSDC Executive Director, Dr Vishnukanth Chatpalli, the Government of Karnataka’s vision is to make employment exchanges relevant and reorient them to present employment needs, in order to provide value-added services to the entire employment ecosystem. “Our initiative is to find implementable solutions that would provide the state with a scalable model to increase the employability of semi-urban and rural youth of Karnataka” he told Deccan Herald.

Aided by a corpus fund of Rs 30 lakh from the State government, KVTSDC initiated the pilot project under the PPP model at Mangalore and Bijapur in 2009. Later it extended the service to other parts of the State with the help of private service providers like Laures, Team Lease and Manipal Education’s iRize. Now the total number of HRD centres has reached three at Mangalore, Bijapur and Kolar. Plans are afoot to start centres at Mandya, Chamrajnagar, Hubli, Gulbarga, Bellary and Chitradurga.

Registration and assessment 

HRD centres play a pivotal role in the registration and assessment of individual candidates who seek their help for employment. Information Technology plays an important role in these fields. According to Team Lease Vice President Neeti Sharma, assessments are an important tool to align a job seeker’s interests, motivation, capabilities and skills to the needs of a specific job. “Assessments expose the shortcomings in a candidate’s education, experience or skill profile while also identifying his training needs,” says Sharma.

The whole process is automated. Once the registration process is over at the HRD centre, the candidate takes an assessment and the results are updated in the ‘Candidate Life Cycle System’, thereby enabling matching of demand to supply. 

The HRD centres also take up the job of counseling and other skill development initiatives. 
Manipal Education CEO and MD Anand Sudarshan said “We at Manipal Education are looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with the Karnataka Government to ensure that we provide the right jobs for the right candidate, and productive workforce for the industry.”

The existing problem in the state is not unemployment but matching capability with aspiration. The existing supply chain is fragmented and there is no one place to go for employing people. 

Here in comes the role of HRD centres. “For individual jobseekers, iRize run HRD centres will assess and match their aspirations and capabilities to job market requirement and provide them with the right jobs,” said iRize Business Head Rajesh A R. 

“Our endeavour is to enable self sustaining people who are assessed, counseled, trained, verified and certified across profiles and cities. We will link them with various stakeholders like government (employment exchanges, skill development programmes), educational institutes (vocational schools and colleges), assessment companies, training/recruitment companies and NGOs to cater to the manpower requirements of the organised and unorganised corporate sectors,” he said.

Although there a number of good autorickshaw drivers in the city, because of a few rotten eggs, the notion among the public is that most drivers are rude, impolite and arrogant. In an effort to change that ‘image,’ the Bangalore City Traffic Police, along with the Indian Institute of Job Training (IIJT), has begun a series of soft skills training sessions for auto drivers.

The first session of the training saw 45 drivers from Malleswaram, Mathikere, Rajajinagar, West of Chord Road, Sriramnagar and Dasarahalli participating in an interactive learning session at the IIJT in Malleswaram on Sunday.

Inspector S Shashikala said: “We get several complaints about auto drivers being rude, impolite, demanding excess fares and refusing to go to certain places. We decided to hold this training session to help them realise what they were doing is wrong. We will, instead, focus on the right approach.”

“Auto drivers are not essentially mean or arrogant,” said Shajan Samuel, divisional head, IIJT.

“Most negative responses are situational. But the commuter often carries them back and a general impression is formed that auto drivers are bad. By imparting soft skills, we hope they will be able to react differently and in a more positive manner, even if the fault is not theirs,” he said.

Ram Krishna, an auto driver based in Rajajinagar, said: “I was asked to come here by the traffic police. Although I came reluctantly, I don’t regret it now. A lot of what they said makes sense. But when a situation arises, we have no control over it. This session has helped us understand how to react to a situation differently and positively.”

MA Saleem, additional commissioner of police, traffic and security, said: “The mode of public transport in our city is limited to the BMTC and autos, unlike other cities where there are multiple modes of transport. Although the Metro is available now, it will take some time before it can reach other parts of the city. As such, commuters are often dependent on auto drivers, and it is important that they have a good experience, so that they are comfortable leaving their private vehicles at home.”

IIJT plans to hold a number of such sessions over a sustained period to ensure that they reach a substantial 
number of autorickshaw drivers to bring about a change.

“We will begin with these sessions in other places, beginning with MG Road and Jayanagar. To reinforce the message, our trainers will also be working with the drivers individually on their trips to see what they can do differently.”

The participants in the meet were Thane, Andheri & Pune COCs  and Karad, Chembur and Jalgaon ATC’s.  The other participants included the Partner Ops team - Mr. Joseph Manickaraj – Manager Partner Ops, Mr. Mahesh Kadam - FSM, Mr. Srikanta Acharya – Division academic manager.

The Head  - Partner Operation – Major Vandana Sharma and the Divisional Head –West, Mr. Babul Saha presided over the meeting.

The meeting started with the West region introduction and welcome message from Mr. Babul Saha.  He then handed over to Mr. Ashok Reddy, MD –Teamlease IIJT.  Mr. Ashok Reddy addressed the gathering on IIJT & TeamLease vision, expectation and value of being in partnership. 

Major Vandana Sharma initiated the round of self-introductions by each participant and requested all to share their views and thoughts in terms of the WOW factors and expectations in the current set up of IIJT as a company.

Each Centre Director and Center Managers shared the WOW factor and the expectations from the TeamLease / IIJT.   There was  a lot of appreciation from the ATC partners on the overall outlook of IIJT after being taken over by Teamlease and support from the Partner Operations and they also shared their expectations with Mr. Ashok who patiently reciprocated to all the queries.

The meeting then proceeded to the Video Conference sessions with the Heads of various Support Departments – Academics, Institutional, CCS, Central Marketing, CST, IT & Placements.

Mr Davuluri Academic Head spoke about IIJT Products, the work in progress on different products. Sharanu, Head IT spoke about IT infrastructure and support and plans ahead.

Major Vandana Sharma, Head Partner Organization shared the Plans for supporting the partners, future plans for partner Organization network, quality, audit and compliance, engagement initiatives and also shared the organizational structure.

Ms Neeti Sharma: Head Institutional services  spoke about the government projects and initiatives being launched/planned pan India and the opportunities for partners to leverage and manage these projects in their locations.

Mr Sharanu, Head IT :Teamlease-IIJT spoke about the innovations and new technology upgrades that are being planned. The partners were happy to note the initiatives.

Ms Suman Srinidhi: Head Customer Service discussed on support being rendered by central customer service desk and insisted that partners utilise this facility to trouble shoot all operational issues and this helps to provide a SLA based mechanism to ensure closure of concerns and feedbacks.

Ms Savita Singh: Head Placements had a very gainful interaction with partners and assured placement support and also spoke on processes being followed religiously to ensure good support and job fairs at partner locations as and when possible.

Mr. Vishal Solanki, Marketing head also join the meet through VC and shared the most happening 13 activities which need follow up at center level so the branding can be done in center vicinity.

Ms. Surabhi, TeamLease, Mumbai presented the overall business perspective from TeamLease side and discussed on areas to leverage on between IIJT and Teamlease network besides other operational insights which was very informative to all.

Jalgaon partner Mr Lathi suggested we organize such partners meet on every quarter.

The meeting concluded with the distribution of Mementos by Major Vandana & Mr. Babul Saha and general wellness wishes with each partner.  The partners expressed their satisfaction on their expectations and have assured their cooperation and support in making IIJT a lead brand in the Education sector.  

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Smiley-lessons-for-auto-drivers/articleshow/10470485.cms

BANGALORE: If this initiative works, you could well see autorickshaw drivers across the city turning their frown upside down. Traffic policeare giving their all to get Bangalore's 80,000-odd drivers to smile. 

The number is small but it's a beginning. Forty drivers in Malleswaram zone joined hands for a soft-skill training programme on Sunday to learn how to be sensitive to passengers. 

Conducted by the Indian Institute of Job Training(IIHT) along with Bangalore traffic police, the workshop focused on training the drivers on how to adopt a customercentric approach. 

"We get to hear commuters' harrowing experience with auto drivers. Most demand more money or simply refuse to go to a particular destination. Added to that is their rude behaviour," said M A Saleem, additional commissioner , traffic. 

Divided into three modules, this programme will see drivers getting trained in three phases. While Sunday's training covered the basic module, the intermediate and advanced modules will look into behavioural changes. 

"The first challenge was to get the drivers together for this training . Most were unwilling to forfeit their half-day earning to be part of it. The second objective is to bring about a positive change in their outlook and help them develop a better relationship with commuters . At the end of the day, both drivers and their passengers must be happy and satisfied," said Shajan Samuel, divisional head, IIJT.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/article2565150.ece

BANGALORE, OCT. 23: Indian Institute of Job Training, a vocational training company, today embarked upon an initiative that could make autorickshaw commuting in Bangalore city a more pleasant one.

IIJT, in association with the Bangalore City Traffic Police Department, organised the first of a series of soft skills training sessions for auto drivers on etiquette, communication tips, body mannerisms and customer management.

The session, flagged off by Mr M. A. Saleem, Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic and Security, would train 40 drivers who volunteered for the programme.

“Training is one of the best ways to bring in a change. We are happy that private players are joining hands in uplifting the image of auto drivers,” he said.

The interactive training module was conducted in Kannada with a mix of videos and role plays to help them understand the expectations of commuters and how the relationship with them is not just transactional but also experiential.

Speaking at the session, Mr Shajan Samuel, Divisional Head, IIJT, said, “Auto rickshaws are an integral means of transportation in Bangalore. As people have expectations while travelling in a bus or plane, they also have certain basic expectations from auto rickshaw commutation. Unfortunately those expectations have been belied for many years. The image of the city also revolves around how we treat our passengers.”

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/get-ready-for-a-softer-ride/195385-60-119.html

BANGALORE: With the objective of making commuting by autorickshaws a more ‘peaceful’ task, Indian Institute of Job Training (IIJT) and Bangalore traffic police will hold a soft skills training session for the auto drivers of the city on Sunday. The two-hour session is an attempt to make them realise that communication is an important aspect in their� everyday work life.

Says Sajan Samuel, divisional head, IIJT, “Two hours might not be enough to bring about immediate changes. The mindset doesn’t change overnight. But what we are trying to do is to make the autorickshaw drivers realise that communication is important, and that it’s not just a transactional relationship that they have with passengers.” He observes that the impact autorickshaw drivers have on passengers is important. “Their behaviour will leave an impact in the minds of tourists and people from other states,” he adds.

The two-hour session that will be held on Sunday will be the first of a series of sessions that will be held annually. “We are looking at holding four training sessions in a quarter. The training will be held in the vernacular language and will have various segments. There will be a video presentation that will teach them how to interact with customers. There will also be a role playing session,” points out Samuel.

Samuel is quick to mention that the arguments that erupt between the passengers and the autorickshaw drivers are circumstantial. “It’s not always one person’s fault. But there is an image that people have conjured up over the years about auto drivers. That needs to be changed. But that cannot be changed if the drivers are rude and arrogant,” he says.

After the free training session, the auto drivers will be monitored by the people from IIJT and if they prove to be effective, they will be given a customer-friendly auto driver tag.� “It was difficult to get people for the session through unions. Talking to them individually was also not easy. But thanks to the efforts of the Bangalore traffic police, we could spread word about the training,” says Samuel. Thirty auto drivers have signed up for the first session.

http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/IIJT-Chembur-gets-VSAT-connectivity/5265075662

The VSAT infrastructure will enable IIJT to give quality career skills training to all candidatesIndian Institute of Job Training (IIJT), India’s fastest growing career skills training organization and TeamLease Services, India’s largest staffing solutions company today launched VSAT facility at the IIJT Chembur centre to enable last mile access to employability enhancement training. 

The VSAT infrastructure will enable IIJT to give quality career skills training to all candidates, even those in more remote locations who may have been limited by lack of access to quality faculty, infrastructure and exposure to industry professionals. 
 
IIJT’s VSAT facility is being launched with a series of Career Seminars by real-life professionals from across various industries for the benefit job seekers and students. This is based on the research that many students make their career decisions without much research, role models or active discussion. With 93% of employment in the informal sector, these seminars create a unique opportunity for interaction with formal sector professionals for students across the country.  The seminars are open to the general public, apart from IIJT students. Part biographical, part professional and part industry, these seminars will have professionals talking about their personal career journey and will give insights to students on selecting and enabling their careers in those industries. 
 
Babul SoumenSaha, Divisional Head IIJT west stated that the dearth of having quality and well trained faculty across the country particularly for advanced modules was one of the reasons for investing into satellite technology. He also added “A minimum of 25% of all our career courses will be taught from the studio. The Career Seminars every Saturday will be open to public and apart from the normal classes, one of the most effective satellite interventions will be ‘Train-the-trainer’ programs for our range of programs across finance, accounting, sales, marketing, hardware/networking, and English.”