As adults, society expects us to earn a living and support not just ourselves but our families as well. However, getting employment is subject to many conditions. One of them being employability skills. These skills or attributes enable young people to perform well in their chosen occupations and adapt to changing work environments. They include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, digital literacy, and self-management skills. These skills are necessary for youth to succeed in the 21st-century economy, where they face rapid technological changes, increased competition, and diverse opportunities. These skills are essential for youth to achieve their personal and professional goals, and contribute to the social and economic development of their communities and countries.
India, the land of opportunities has nearly 50% of its population below the age of 25. However, these young people in the most populous country in the world are struggling with employment. The problem India faces on account of employability and the rapidly evolving job market, the demands for new skill sets, and meeting aspiration levels is quite scary. Most of them lack the necessary skills and education to secure stable employment.
Working amongst youth at grass root level, Mr I A Padmanabhan alias Ramesh Swamy realized that only when we can bring a change in the lives of the underprivileged, there will be progress and overall societal development. This passion drove him to found SGBS Trust together with a few other like-minded people. Under the aegis of this trust, he established Unnati which helps economically challenged youth find meaningful employment in just 35 days.
“Our focus solely lies in the realm of employability, providing comprehensive training, and ensuring a guaranteed job placement at the end of the program for unemployed and unemployable youth, both with and without an educational background,” says Ramesh Swamy, Lead Trustee of SGBS Trust, Director of SGBS Unnati Foundation and the CEO of the Swamy Group Of Companies.
The Inception
After completing graduation and garnering his Bachelor’s degree in BE (Mech) from MACT, Regional Engineering College, Bhopal, Ramesh Swamy joined his father in business. He also handled the logistics management for companies across Karnataka.
Ramesh always had a deep-rooted involvement with Indian Culture and was passionate about helping to bring about a change in the lives of the underprivileged. This passion drove him to establish SGBS Trust. He organized several events to promote art and culture constantly scouted for young talent and provided them with a platform that will help launch their careers. Soon he became a source of inspiration and support among many young artists.
Then in a small way, he started providing educational support to the underprivileged school children every year, under the Trust’s program Shiksha. Then they started providing help to the public at the time of bereavement through Samasta which continues even today.
Next came Unnati, his brainchild to help youth find meaningful employment. His ingenious strategy to mobilize the entire art lover community in Bangalore to rally for a cause has made Unnati a sustainable social impact program and a case study in the NGO sector. Unnati is now more than just a proof of concept.
Their journey embarked on a transformative path in the academic year 2017-18 when they initiated the UNXT program for the final year students in the Government and ITI colleges. And later started the program SUGAM which is designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs by offering guidance and mentorship.
“With an extensive history spanning over 20 years, our programs, UNNATI UNXT, and SUGAM have successfully empowered more than 85,000 youths, over 30 centers across the country, over 200 Govt colleges, and over 300 companies coming for campus placements, Unnati has become a fully sustainable employment ecosystem,” says Ramesh.
Recently, Unnati achieved a historic milestone by registering on the Social Stock Exchange at BSE and NSE, garnering approvals from both esteemed exchanges. Notably, Unnati proudly stands as the pioneering organization to list a Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) instrument on the Social Stock Exchange (SSE).
The Foundation
SGBS Unnati Foundation is a distinguished non-profit organization, established in 2011, dedicated to empowering less educated, underprivileged, and unemployed youth by providing them with the necessary skills to secure gainful employment. “Unnati”, through a comprehensive 35-day training program encompassing 300 hours, participants are equipped with spoken English language skills, life skills, values, basic computer knowledge, and vocational training. Unnati ensures a guaranteed placement in a corporate setting with social security.
The foundation’s primary objective is to assist the youth of the nation, aged between 18-25 years, in realizing their ambitions and enabling them to contribute positively to society, regardless of their challenging backgrounds. Unnati Foundation acknowledges the importance of nurturing individuals from their respective communities and strives to uplift them.
In addition to its core training program, the Unnati Foundation hosts various initiatives for youth development. “UNXT” caters specifically to youth residing in rural areas, providing them with valuable opportunities and resources. “SUGAM” is designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs by offering guidance and mentorship. What sets Unnati Foundation apart is its unique selling proposition (USP) of guaranteed job placements for the youth, thus ensuring a secure future for them. By playing a pivotal role in empowering the youth, the Unnati Foundation endeavors to uplift an entire generation and help them rise above the poverty line.
“Our success which needs to be seen and realised is about the transformation a youth goes through during the program. For us giving the youth a job is measurable but the impact is about transformation. It’s about a value-based citizen who realizes his/her responsibility in the society. It’s about lifelong empowerment of the youth,” says Ramesh.
Leading with A Vision
Ramesh serves as the Managing Trustee in SGBS Trust and Director at SGBS Unnati Foundation on a pro bono basis and is involved in the day-to-day operations at Unnati. As the leader, he has to undertake several critical decisions that can significantly impact the organization’s success, effectiveness, and overall mission, Program Development and Evaluation, Partnerships and Collaborations, Fundraising and Financial Management, Staffing, and Team Management.
He leads Unnati with a vision to train & place 1 million underprivileged youth across the nation. In his unwavering pursuit of the Trust’s mission and vision, his sole goal is to work towards the upliftment of the underprivileged and the bright future of young aspirants across the nation. Throughout his career, Ramesh has been guided by the principles of continuous learning, integrity, and commitment towards delivering the needs of the community. He aims to contribute significantly to the organizational growth, with open communication, teamwork, and a proactive mindset.
“Great work never goes unnoticed. Unnati today has been recognized for its work across various national and international forums. Since 2003, we, in our small way, continue to work for this ’cause’, to make society a happier and better place. By addressing this issue head-on, we can empower these young individuals to become productive contributors to society. Government partnership also plays a pivotal role in skill development supporting our program UNXT across various states,” shares Ramesh.
Through Highs and Lows
Promotion of Education, Gender Equality & Women Empowerment, Employment, Enhancing Vocational Skills, Livelihood program and Workforce Development are SGBS’s thematic areas of work.
The program has multiple stakeholders – the beneficiaries (18-25 underprivileged youths), the community and their families, the CSR partners and donors, the recruitment agencies, and in some cases partnering NGOs. Ramesh and his team do not work with the government or engage in any government schemes.
Their journey involves extensive hard work, grit, determination, and perseverance. Securing donors to navigate through diverse opinions, each step demanded dedication. The multifaceted process of opening training centers across locations was a challenge until they had Axis Bank, who supported us in a big way. Moreover, forging connections with placement partners (especially local placement) was crucial for the program’s success.
Another set of challenges came from the benefactors themselves. Youths do not distinguish between two similar programs. For them, it is all the same. The mindset of certificates, degrees, etc needs to change and they must realize that vocational training is the approach for the future.
The youth think that success can come easily and they resist understanding the need for self-discipline.
The parents are overprotective and do not allow girls to take up jobs outside their areas hence limiting the youth’s growth. The focus unfortunately is on training and not on getting the youths a job. The curriculum many times is not connected to the market needs.
“Through continuous efforts and collaborations, we not only surmounted many obstacles but also learned invaluable lessons. The experience taught me the significance of adaptability, resilience, and the power of a unified vision. Today, Unnati stands as a testament to the collective efforts and commitment of everyone involved,” says Ramesh.
Technology for Better Reach and Growth
Technology plays a crucial role in the growth and survival of any organization, including Unnati. Unnati understands the importance of leveraging technology to scale, save time and money, and simplify processes. Unlike other organizations, Unnati has embraced technology right from its inception, making it an integral part.
They have a very good MIS Reporting system – Cloud Platform MIS Sixer Class. Their data collection is via a tech-based platform that also provides access to an e-learning app with over 600 videos and questions to the youth who attend our program.
Unnati adopts a blended learning model, combining e-learning with classroom instruction. This
approach accommodates diverse learning styles, ensuring that all participants receive effective education and support. Youth trained and completed their training under their programs are issued Digital Certificates across all centers.
They have also developed an in-house portal Udhyogam. In order to bridge the gap between the Unnati-trained talent pool and companies seeking freshers, it has created a platform called UDHYOGAM. This platform allows companies to filter their requirements and shortlist candidates based on video resumes that the organization has asked them to upload. Unnati has also implemented a robust Financial system that ensures accountability across all its centers.
Miles to Go
By striving to reach its milestone, Unnati aims to create a significant impact and leave a lasting legacy in the field of skill development and youth empowerment. Unnati is the first to get registered on a social stock exchange, that’s another significant milestone and achievement. Being listed on a social stock exchange is a relatively new development in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors.
The organization is rapidly growing, it is driven by people who are extremely passionate and whose only intent is to help the youth of this country and also help the nation move forward. “ Unnati’s vision is to train & place 1 million underprivileged youth across the nation. Our journey continues. We want our team to be positive, meaningfully associated, take responsibility, and be able to contribute to the implementation of our program and make a difference in the lives of the youth of this country and take the joy and the credit, especially our Volunteers who play a pivotal role in making a difference,” concludes Ramesh.
Quote: “A generation raises above the poverty line in just 35 days”
Quote: “I feel great about what I am today with passion to serve this nation. I want more strength and support to explore the work we are doing today, and more and more youth get benefit.”
Quote: “The SGBS Unnati Foundation was born in 2011 and our goal stood for “Training and employment of 1 million youth across the nation ”
Quote: “With unyielding belief that inclusive societal growth is the only means to achieve overall development in the country, led to the dream of replicating our Unnati Model across India.”
