Skill Building Programmes for Municipal School Children
Over the years, it has been observed that there is a high dropout-rate among students in senior secondary schools. Many children do not complete their school education due to economic pressures at home, the poor quality of education offered to them, or other pressing reasons. These children are left with a poor level of education, less exposure and inadequate resources, making it difficult for them to cope with the emerging requirements of the job industry. Thus, there is a great need to reduce this skill-gap, especially when it concerns students from lower socioeconomic strata.
The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in a joint venture with the Salaam Bombay Foundation (under the guidance of the National Council of Skill Development), conducts a pilot programme in BMC schools, which aims to effectively improve the skills of students in Class VIII and above. In collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, the Salaam Bombay Foundation also conducted an authentic skill-gap study, in order to understand the job demands of the various industries available in the vicinity of the schools that are part of this project. The Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation supports this project, which addresses this skill-gap by creating a programme of national importance that develops effective skill-building initiatives at the school level.
With the support of the Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation, the Salaam Bombay Foundation is able to establish a presence in over 200 government schools in Mumbai and in over 20,000 schools across Maharashtra. This support has also helped them train and gain the support of over 35,000 government functionaries and 500 NGOs in Maharashtra. Through counselling and education, the Salaam Bombay Foundation has been able to touch the lives of over 3 million children.
Established in 2002, Salaam Bombay Foundation began with a vision to use life skills development to empower children to make the right choices for their health, education and livelihood. This organisation is powered by a dynamic team of 92 committed individuals, with a collective experience of more than 100 years. Together they bring expertise in child development, counselling, education and project execution to the organisation.