Skilling youth for BPO
Having come up in life through hard work, RC Banjara Hills president Durga Prasad Madasu, RID 3150, has given shape to his dream project, Upadhi (jobs in Telugu). Through a 21-day training programme, the project aims to skill 1,500 youth across India from less privileged families who have passed out of Class 12, but are unable to pursue higher education.
As CEO of CorpOne, a BPO firm in Hyderabad, Madasu was distressed to find that “thousands of students passing out of Class 12 in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are forced to take up menial, low-paying jobs to support their families facing economic challenges,” he says. In Telangana alone, around seven lakh students appear for Class 12 board exams, and among them thousands are from poor families that cannot afford higher education for their children. Between July and December the club has trained 1,200 candidates in computer and communication skills at the CorpOne Training Academy. “All of them were guaranteed job placements in BPOs and telemarketing firms.” Till now, 1,000 trainees have got jobs and “the rest are waiting for job offers.”
In a month, 15–20 batches, with 12–15 youngsters in each, are trained by a team of eight professionals, a mix of CorpOne staff and freelance trainers. “The BPO job training is totally free for students. For those from places other than Hyderabad, accommodation is arranged by the club. But they have to take care of food expenses,” explains Madasu.
Into six months now, the BPO job training has won admirers from other district clubs and social media influencers. The study programme has two components — week-long theory classes followed by 15 days of on-job training for different BPO verticals, he says.
Vivek, a trainee from Bidar, is the sole breadwinner in his family having lost his father. He is employed in a BPO firm now. “His family is doing well, thanks to his good salary. With the money he is earning, he wants to study further,” says the club president.
Recalling his hard life, Madasu says, “I started working at an entry-level BPO job while doing my graduation and rose up in my company hierarchy through diligent work over a decade. So, whether Rotary continues with Upadhi or not, I will continue training the youth for BPO jobs,” he asserts.
Club president-elect Anitha Patibandla wants to continue with Project Upadhi.
