Empowering rural youth in Bengal with Bosch’s help

During its endeavour to improve employment opportunities for the youth, particularly those from rural areas and lower middle classes, Rotary Club of Calcutta Presidency, RID 3291, identified the Bosch Bridge Program, which is a CSR initiative of Bosch India in partnership with Rotary in India.

“This programme, which is part of the GoI’s Skill India Mission, is designed to skill unemployed youth and prepare them for the workplace. When we learnt about the unique initiative, with some help from RID 3192 PDG Jeetendra Aneja, we understood the significant impact this programme has made — training over 15,000 students and facilitating their placement through Bosch’s network,” says Dr Rina Malpani, past president of the club and the moving spirit behind this project.

A gynaecologist by profession she has inherited the passion for community service from her late father, also a Rotarian, who had done community service through Rotary during his 30 years in the organisation. She oversees as managing trustee her family trust — the Tarachandra and Shanti Maheshwari Trust — which runs a project to empower women from lower social strata, and also sponsors the education of an odd deserving student.

She was hopeful that if her club could put a project in place to get skilling of unemployed youth under the Bosch Bridge Program, the trained youngsters would get an opportunity of employment through the 3,000 companies that Bosch has tied up with to absorb such trained talent.

But she soon found that there was no Bosch Bridge Centre in Eastern India. Turning this problem into an opportunity, the Rotarians of her club began scouting for ways to establish one such centre in or around Kolkata. After attending a Bosch workshop in November 2024, they identified Mallikpur in Baruipur district, a 45-minute drive from Kolkata, to put up such a centre.

“For this, we partnered with the Awareness Foundation for Environment and Skill Development, an NGO that is working in the area of women’s empowerment to set up such a centre,” she adds. The Rotarian explains that this NGO owns a sprawling farmhouse, spread over an area of nearly 3–4 acres in Mallikpur, which was also the right location to identify rural youth who would benefit from this training. Bosch allows a maximum of 25 youngsters in one batch where eight weeks of theory classes and four weeks of practical skilling take place, which includes internship and training on how to write a CV for a job application, and mock interviews are conducted.

P P Mitra, who is part of GoI’s Skill India initiative, and who owns the farmhouse, allotted three classrooms for the Bosch course, provided the computers required for the training, and Dr Rina’s Trust agreed to pay the trainer’s salary — around ₹16,000. Her club members helped to identify 23 youngsters for the course.

When asked how the trainees were identified, Rina smiles and says, “Often, for such projects, it is easier to find the money than the deserving beneficiaries. But our club members helped and we were able to find these youngsters.” They were looking for those who had passed their Class 12, but found to their surprise an odd graduate also opting for the Bosch course. The main reason for this is the huge difficulty in finding suitable jobs, and the 60–70 per cent recruitment and a starting salary of around ₹15,000 were incentives to join. The one-time fee charged is only ₹1,000; many colleges offer this Bridge course at a fee of ₹15,000, says Rina.

The training centre in Mallikpur was inaugurated by RI Director Anirudha Roychowdhury, who is credited with having played a major role in setting up Rotary’s partnership with Bosch. Over a three-month programme, the students will receive instructions in computer basics, spoken English and soft skills which are essential tools for today’s job market. “They are taught etiquette, how to speak, how to behave and Bosch ensures 60–70 per cent placement opportunities upon course completion, because they have a tie up with around 3,000 companies who are looking for such skilled workers.”

There are standards set for the trainers also; trainers are certified through an intensive four-day programme conducted by Bosch and must pass an examination to qualify. The training kits and standardised course curriculum are supplied by Bosch at no cost, as this is part of the corporate’s CSR initiative.

The Awareness Foundation, which works in the area of women’s empowerment, is in partnership with Singer in design and tailoring course. They also offer basic courses in jewellery design and beauty care.

Interestingly, Rina’s NGO has also set up a skilling centre for women in collaboration with Singer in Tiyali, about 50km from Kolkata. “I started it when I was president of my club in 2023. This offers a six-month tailoring course, and those successful are given both certificates as well as sewing machines. We also help them to get jobs. In my own small way, I help as I have ties with two or three companies who always need such skilled workers. I play golf with the owner of a company that manufactures garments for industrial use, and I approached him on the possibility of employing these women. Those who manage to get a job start with a salary of ₹15,000–20,000 which is a good deal for them.”

Rina also knows Shailendra Gupta, owner of Geeta’s Circle, a boutique in Kolkata; “he is a Rotarian too (from RC Calcutta) and he gives us the waste fabric from his boutique which we use while training our women. We had also organised a small fashion show for them, and two of our women walked down the ramp.”

On the streak of social service in her, Rina laughs and says, “I probably got it from my father; he was a very active Rotarian and though he might not have donated big money, he was very active and I remember him rushing diligently every Sunday to administer polio drops to children.”

She puts on record her appreciation for Roychowdhury, “who played a key role in forging the Rotary-Bosch collaboration, and has been a guiding force behind this effort” and club president Abha Lunia who was instrumental in marketing and handling critical project details.

Next on this club’s agenda is starting yet another Bosch Bridge course centre in the region. “PDG Aneja has asked us to look into this and next year, when I will be assistant governor, I will work hard to expand this skilling project which is the need of the day to make our youth adequately skilled for the job market,” adds Rina.

She is most happy about the fact that of the 23 youngsters at this Bosch centre in Mallikpur, the majority are women. Not all of them attend classes regularly, because many of them also have to do some work to earn some money. “This is the reality of their lives and we have to work around it. But we are sure that with collective effort and vision, this initiative will truly transform lives, empower communities, and create a lasting impact,” she adds.