Tata Group to train, give jobs to rural youths

Youths from the rural areas will get a shot at making it big in the hospitality sector, as they will now receive training from the best in the field. The Tata Group, in conjunction with the state government, will employ its experts to train youths from the state in hospitality, which is intrinsic to the tourism industry. What’s more, state officials said successful candidates would also be given employment in the Taj Group of Hotels.

As per the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the skill development department of the state government, Tata Strive, an organisation which works to train youth for employment, entrepreneurship and community enterprise, will provide hospitality training to state youths at the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Lonavala.

“Those eligible to receive training will be picked up from areas in and around Lonavala itself. We want youths from the rural areas to be trained by experts in the field, so that it enhances their job prospects. After the training, successful candidates will be directly employed by the Taj Group,” said Deepak Kapoor, principal secretary, skill development department.

To ensure proper training, the state government has decided to revamp amenities available at ITI Lonavala. “We will repair the hotel, school and other facilities to match Tata standards. The building of ITI Lonavala will be ready by early September. We will undertake a joint inspection with Tata Strive officials before starting the training,” said Mr Kapoor.

The scheme will offer rural youths an opportunity to carve out successful careers in the field of hospitality and tourism, said officials. “We plan to provide training to students free of cost, or will charge them the bare minimum. The cost of training will be shared by the state government and the Tata Group, which will release funds as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative. Depending on the success at ITI Lonavala, we plan to implement the scheme in other ITIs of the state,” said Mr Kapoor. Meanwhile, the state has also decided to extend its digital classroom scheme in 68 more ITIs, taking the total number of benefiting ITIs to 100. “Under this project, all the equipment, satellite connection will be set up by the Tata Group,” said a senior civic official.