SKF India and Ambuja Foundation announced the set-up of a dedicated YES skill training centre in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad Gujarat. The initiative is an expansion of SKF’s YES (Youth Empowerment at SKF) program, which focuses on training, skill development and employability of youth across Gandhinagar (Ahmedabad, Gujarat), Sankrail (Kolkata West Bengal) and Pali (Jodhpur Rajasthan).

Reaching out to underprivileged youth and equipping them with industry-relevant skills for the automotive sector, the centre will improve the employability of youth, and help them become micro-entrepreneurs. SKF has an overall goal of skilling 10,000 youth for the automotive sector by 2025, and Ambuja Foundation, as implementation partner for the project, has already trained 88,000 young people in a variety of trades via 35 Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Institutes (SEDI).

The YES skill centre will provide the best of theoretical and practical knowledge featuring built-in classrooms and training labs equipped with various models and cut sections of two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The course will have ASDC certification and includes vocational training in automobile technician, personality development, management skills and entrepreneurship skills.

Speaking on the occasion, Manish Bhatnagar, MD SKF India Ltd. Said, “To fulfil India’s growth ambitions, we need to focus on skilling the youth of the country. Our aim with the YES Program is to equip youth with both vocational and behavioural skills that will assist them professionally, raise their scope of employability and help reach their aspirational goals. As a socially responsible corporate, we want all our programs to make a meaningful difference and we will continue to undertake similar initiatives in the future.”

Ravi Nayse, Head of Skilling at Ambuja Foundation said, “We highly appreciate SKF for having selected us as an implementation partner for the YES Program. With their knowledge of the automobile industry and our experience in skill training, we shall create skilled professionals for the sector and also enable them to secure a better standard of living.”

Launched in 2015, SKF’s YES centres train youth to work at various automotive OEMs, dealer service networks and workshops. Till date, YES has impacted over 4000 students by 70% providing job placement in automobile sectors. The courses are designed for the 2-wheeler technician and 4-wheeler technician training, service advisor, sales executive, customer care executive and EV course.