Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Ambuja Cement Foundation Empowers Over 74,000 Youth with Skills and Entrepreneurship Training

The foundation’s work is towards company’s commitment to close the skill gap not only in urban areas but also in rural India, says Neeraj Akhoury, MD and CEO, Ambuja Cements
December 29, 2021
Picture used for representation purpose only.

Over the last few months, Ambuja Cement Foundation has empowered over 74,000 youth across the country through its 35 Skill and Entrepreneurship Training Institutes (SEDI) spread across 10 states. The corporate social responsibility arm of Ambuja Cements Limited has skill development, health and sanitation, rural infrastructure and women empowerment as its key objectives.

The SEDIs are under a unique skilling initiative, which focuses on enhancing the employability of rural youth through intensive vocational training courses. The model aims at generating sustainable livelihoods by fostering an individual’s earning capacity through training programmes. The initiative provides employment and promotes entrepreneurship to help youth launch their own businesses and arm them with the mandatory skills to thrive. The programme also trains differently-abled in areas of hospitality, machine repair (AC and refrigerator, and smartphone), and as call centre executives. The trained youth are also provided placements.

Neeraj Akhoury, MD and CEO, Ambuja Cements said, “At Ambuja Cements, we are committed to creating jobs and closing the skill gap not only in urban areas, but also in rural India. This is a testimony to our ethos of contributing to our country’s Skill India initiative.”

Pearl Tiwari, Director and CEO, Ambuja Cement Foundation said, “Education and training are the most important components to create jobs for any economy. It is very important to bridge the skill gap and support the spirit of entrepreneurship not only in urban areas but also in rural areas, especially after COVID-19 when people are back to work. Through SEDI, we aim to motivate youth and equip them for both, jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities, enabling job creation and economic progress. We wholeheartedly believe in contributing to the Government’s Skill India mission and look forward to many more milestones.”

Recently. Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF) installed a CNC plasma cutting machine at its Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Institute (SEDI) in Ambujanagar and Chandrapur to encourage girls’ participation in machine operations and manufacturing and an AI Lab in SEDI Bhagwanpur offering advanced skills to rural youth.

Ambuja Cements Ltd, a part of the global conglomerate LafargeHolcim, is among the leading cement companies in India. Ambuja Cement Foundation was established in 1993. The company has spent Rs.53.97 crore on corporate social responsibility this year.