Newsletter (July to September 2014)

Dear Friend,

Please find our newsletter for the period July to September 2014. Silent volunteers like Ms.Subhadra and Kalyan Kumar need to be applauded for bringing out timely quarterly newsletters over the past 5 years and they have added immense value to our connect with all involved in this movement called Unnati.

Volume 3: July – September 2014 |

www.unnatiblr.org

Welcome Note

We often hear the phrases “It is a skill”, “He/She is very skillful”, “a skilled person can address things in a better way” etc., Statements such as these and many others often pops up a question in our minds : “what is a skill?” and “why is it important to develop/acquire skills? “.

A simple answer is:

Skill is the ability to perform a given task in a more competitive manner.

Skill Development is very vital to create a workforce empowered with the necessary and continuously upgraded skills, knowledge and well recognized qualifications to gain access to decent employment and ensure personal and professional success. A skilled workforce is the only way to achieve recognition and the power to compete at a global level.

According to The International Labour Organization (ILO), “Skill development is of key importance in stimulating a sustainable development process and can make a contribution in facilitating the transition from an informal to formal economy. It is also essential to address the opportunities and challenges to meet new demands of changing economies and new technologies in the context of globalization.”

Skill development can help build a “virtuous circle” in which the quality and relevance of education and training for women and men fuels the innovation, investment, technological change, enterprise development, economic diversification and competitiveness that economies need, to accelerate the creation of more jobs. Skill development is a continuous journey where we acquire skills of different sorts, which will help us to plan, proceed and perform better in our day to day tasks.

Skills can primarily be placed in three categories: Transferable/Functional, Personal Traits/Attitudes and knowledge based. All of these play a role of paramount significance in our lives. Actions taken to perform a task, transferable to different work functions and industries such as planning, organizing, promoting, analyzing from the first category of skills that are easily transferable across different functions based on the ability and aptitude. The second category of skills are personality traits or characteristics that contribute to performing a task well like result oriented tasks, ability to think, decision making, communication skills etc. The last group includes skills that are Knowledge based- that of specific subjects, procedures, and information necessary to perform a specific task which are acquired through education, training , processes followed on the job etc.,

Every skill acquired holds a special place/meaning in one’s life.

Our prime minister Mr. Narendra Modi acknowledged the need for skill development and says that it is the need of the hour not just for India, but for the entire world and we have to create a brand called “Skilled India”.

He further elaborates the fact that only skill development will pave way for ‘dignity of labour’ and emphasizes the fact that skill development should be accompanied by Shram Ev Jayate- Dignity of labour.

Most of the skills mentioned above are seldom taught in text books and it is the responsibility of the institutes, teachers, mentors, guides and coaches to encourage their wards to embark on this great experience, a life time journey called “Skill Development”.

We at Unnati firmly believe in this principle and try our best to encourage our students to enhance their skills which would help them become better performers in their profession and better people in their personal lives.

With this note Team Unnati wishes all of you a great festive season ahead.

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence ” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Editorial:

Dignity of Labour advocates the philosophy that all types of jobs are respected equally without any discrimination whatsoever. All jobs irrespective of their nature are very critical for society’s development and should be treated equally. A nation cannot prosper materially if the people are not laborious, labour is the source of the power of a nation.

A nation that cannot work hard or a nation that does not respect the dignity of manual labour always lags behind other progressive nations. Social reformers like Basava and his contemporary Sharanas and people like Mahatma Gandhi were prominent advocates of Dignity of Labour.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “No matter how insignificant a thing you have to do, do it as well as you can, give it as much of your care and attention as you would give to the thing you regard as most important. For it will be by those small things that you shall be judged.”

If a civil society wants to prosper and advance, it will only happen when the contribution of every citizen is acknowledged and honoured, observes Tushar A. Gandhi , a great grandson of the Mahatma. He recalls the practices employed by his great grandfather in respect of the dignity of labour and the importance of any job. (http://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/lessons_bapu.htm)

A short story goes like this.

One day the Napoleon Bonaparte was out on a stroll with his generals. They came upon a very narrow bridge which allowed only one person at a time to cross. When the Emperor and his entourage reached the bridge, a labourer carrying a heavy load had just got on to it from the other side which meant that the Emperor would have to wait.

One of the Generals accompanying Napoleon ordered the labourer to get off the bridge and allow the Emperor to pass. Napoleon reprimanded the General and asked the labourer to continue crossing the bridge. While waiting, Napoleon told the General, “This man is working, no matter how insignificant his task, the fact that he is performing it, is working, makes him important. I may be the Emperor, but at the moment I am not working and hence the labourer has priority over me, at this moment his time is more precious than mine. I can afford to wait, he must not.” This was the quality of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, which made him great and ensured his success on the battlefield.

“Great people have always understood the dignity of labour. Dignity of labour is recognising the nobility of performing a task and not demeaning it. It is the quality of recognising the importance of labour and not classifying it by its nature. Dignity in labour is recognising and honouring the task one is performing. If performing a task is seen as one’s duty (dharma), if it is performed as a form of worship, then every task becomes important and sacred. Then one will never allow it to be corrupted or become a subject of contempt or do it inefficiently.

Many great people who have become immortal are remembered more for their humility and ability to honour and respect the weakest of the weak and the poorest of the poor. A successful general is one who looks after and respects his foot soldiers, recognises their importance and is one who instils a sense of pride and a feeling of importance amongst the lowest ranks in his command and not one who treats his troops as expendable cannon fodder” emphasises Tushar Gandhi.

Dignity of labour should be taught from childhood which helps the children to understand the importance of work and instils noble thoughts in them. Work is worship and is a dignity, there is no superior or inferior work, every piece of work has its own significance and dignity.

The opportunities for an individual are generally a result of the available resources, environment, exposure, economic conditions and hence every occupation that is part of the society should be looked at with great admiration and dignity.

Every occupation, vocation, skill, ability is vital to complete the bigger picture of the nation called “The progress”. Unnati is proud of our journey called Skill Development builds a Skilled Nation with Dignity and Accountability.

“I believe in the dignity of labour, whether with head or hands, that the world owes no man but it owes every man an opportunity to make a living “ – John D Rockefeller Jr

Events at UNNATI:

1. 25th July 2014 – Volunteering Activity from ‘Boeing’ :

A team of 14 volunteers from Boeing including Mr. Bala Bharadwaj and Ms. Roopa Krishnamurthy organized a debate on ‘Employment Issues’, students of Admin Assistant, Hardware & Networking and Beautician vocations took an active part.

2. 29th July 2014 – ‘Art of Living’:

Art of Living workshop was conducted by Mrs & Mr. Rajagopal, a day when students learned to appreciate what we have, applaud and laugh. The one day experience made them relax, the workshop has seen a great participation of all the vocations.

3. 4th August 2014 – Financial Literacy Session: Mr. Vinod Tamtri (accredited by SEBI) handled Financial Literacy Session for all the Unnati Students. Note : The Financial Literacy Session by experienced financial consultants is where the students learn the basic money management and investments.

4. 23rd August 14 – Training of Trainers (TOT): Training of Trainers was held in English and Life Skills for Unnati faculty and Volunteers and also for Unnati Staff from replications centres. This TOT is conducted at Unnati premises by Unnati master trainer to equip the faculty the right methods of facilitation and delivery.

5. 25th August – ‘Leadership Programme’ : Oneday ‘Leadership Programme’ was conducted by Mr. Shashidar of Rotary Club. A blood donation camp was also held and our 44th batch students donated blood. The oneday Leadership Programme helped the students to improve their skills in Time Management, Presentations and they also learn how to ‘focus’.

6. 1 September 2014 – Debate on Social issues: Debate on Social issues was conducted for the students. Unnati conducts debates on various social issues so that the students become aware of such things. The debate is a platform when we watch the students debating skills, expression and their English communications.

7. 5th September 2014 – Teachers Day Celebration : Students were enthusiastic to celebrate Teachers Day and that was the day when students and staff exchanged pleasantries.

8. 8th Sept 14 & 9th Sept 14– ICP -CSR Programme : Ms. Girija and Ms. Anitha – Volunteers and Mr. Ranga who were selected as trainers to conduct ICP -CSR Programme by IICA attended two day orientation conducted by IICA at Manesar, Haryana.

9. 11th September 14 – Center Managers Meet : Unnati Bangalore hosted Center Managers Meet at Bangalore. Center Managers from Raichur, Delhi, Chennai, Nasik, Pune & Ahmedabad participated in the deliberations. Others from Bangalore – Mr. Ramesh Swamy, Mr. Ramani, Mr. A S Narayanan, Mr. Jayaraman, Mr. Raju, Ms. Jyoti Upadhaya, Ms. Geetha Menon, Mr. Gopi Krishnan, Ms. Janet and Mr. Ranga, Mr. Ajay and Mr. Patil participated.

10. 13th September14 – Selection for the 45th batch : A total of 119 students were selected and induction was conducted. A couple of new vocations ‘Bed Side Attendants’ & ‘Driving’ for Ladies are added.

11. 14th September 14 – Alumni Meet of Unnati Students : Alumni Meet of Unnati Students was held and about 110 old students participated. Many students shared their experiences and spoke appreciating how Unnati has helped them shape their career.

12. 29th September 14 – Volunteering project by Thomson Reuters : About 12 Thomson Reuters employees visited Unnati for the project ‘Go Green’. With the help of our gardener and our students they did gardening work such as pruning, re-potting, manuring and clearing the clutter, watering and placing pots in appropriate places etc., and made the surroundings cleaner and greener. Note : Every year Thomson Reuters enters into an arrangement with Unnati and Go Green is one such volunteering activity. Thomson Reuters also will be volunteering us on Selection day of the new batch, taking part in Debates assisting in Dental checkups etc., during the next few months.

– Proverb

Placement Record

All the students from this batch have been placed with 100% placements keeping the tradition of complete placement intact. Here is a list of organizations who have provided employment opportunities to our Unnati students.

First Source, HGS, Vindhyas, Apple of my I, St Marks Hotel, Tata Trent, Alpine, Varnam ,Katherine’s Gallery, Body Craft & Venus Saloon.Salary range: HGS – 10,000, FIRST SOURCE – 8800, Vindhyas – 8000, Tata Trent – 10000, Apple of My I – 8000, St. Marks Hotel – 8000.

We are grateful to all the Corporates who have stretched their support in the placement of our candidates. We congratulate all our students for their successful graduation and placement and wish them all the very best for future.

“I call myself a labourer because I take pride in calling myself a spinner, weaver, farmer and scavenger” – Mahatma Gandhi

Teacher/Volunteer’s Corner

Name: Dr. Jyothi Bhasu

Dr. Jyothi Bhasu has been volunteering at Unnati for the past 3 plus years. He is a scientist and was in-charge of R&D in an MNC and later was Chief Tech Officer of a Japanese software company. He has a PhD from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He handles Life skills and English for the students. He is highly committed and passionate about the work he does at Unnati. Apart from being a faculty, Mr. Jyothi has donated a Master Server and a few computer peripherals to Unnati. We at Unnati salute his devotion and are extremely proud of his association with Unnati.

 “Nothing will demoralize the nation so much as that we should learn to despise labour “ – Mahatma Gandhi

Know Your Team

Name: Ms. Parvathi:

Ms. Parvathi is a post graduate in Social Work from Pondichery University. She is associated with Unnati since Nov 2013. Ms. Parvathi wears different hats at Unnati, is passionately involved in students’ affairs such as their day to day schedules, studies and discipline. She is very helpful to her colleagues, takes care of the guests who use our auditorium. She efficiently monitors the students hostel and takes remedial action whenever required – to mention only a few.

Ms. Parvathi’s hobbies include ‘Dancing’, ‘Travelling’ and ‘reading books’, she is a great to any organization. We at Unnati are very proud of her.

“It is only through labour and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move onto better things “ – Theodor Roosevelt

Students speak

Name : Ramesh Vittal Qualification : B.com

About my family: We are family of six members. My father is a farmer my mother is a housewife I have one elder sister who is married and one younger brother and sister who are studying.

Before training at Unnati: After finishing my B.Com I did not get any job as I was lacking in communication skills and did not have much of computer knowledge. By nature I am very shy person and did not have many friends. I did not have any goal in my life.

Training Report: I was part of Unnati’s 44th batch training programme where I have been trained in Hardware and networking vocation from 28th June to 10th September 2014. During the training I underwent core training in modules related to Hardware and networking. In additional to this I was given training on spoken English, Life skills, Basic Computers and Values.

After Training After 70 days of training I am totally a new person. Unnati has given me a new life. I have got many friends I have learnt value for life and money, i will be always grateful towards Unnati faculty who have helped me to come up in life.

Placement Details: I have joined as CRO in Hinduja Global Systems Pvt ltd for Rs.10,000/-

Name : Shabeen Taj Qualification : PUC

About my family: We are family of three members . My father works in IBM canteen , my mother is a house wife . I have one elder sister who is married.

Before training at Unnati: After finishing my PUC I was just helping my mother. I could not continue my studies due to financial reasons, and then I thought of joining unnati. When I came to Unnati, I was very scared & nervous because for the first time I left my family. My mother decided to put me in the hostel; I thought how I would adjust.

Training Report: I was a part of Unnati’s 44th batch training programme and I have been trained in Admin Assistant vocation from 28th June to 10th September 2014. During the training I underwent core training in modules related to AA with tally and analytic and typing skills. In additional to this I was given training on spoken English, Life skills, Basic Computers and Values.

After Training After my training I learnt lot of skills. , I do not have stage fear, now I am a good citizen. I am proud to say I am an Unnatian. Unnati has given me good faculties, good friends & good life. Thanks Unnati.

Placement Details: I have joined first source ( BPO) Bangalore as CSA for Rs. 8400

” Work is not man’s punishment, it is his strength, reward and pleasure “. – George Sand

Reminiscences

Valediction:

Valediction of 44th Batch was held on 10th September 2014. The following were the Guests of Honor : 1. Mr. PratapRamdas – Tata Global 2. Mr. Rajeev Lalla – Derrick Petroleum 3. Mr. Raman – Ex-Chairman, I-Flex and supporter of Unnati 4. Mr. Ravi – Boeing 5. Mr. A S Narayanan – Trustee 6. Mr. Padnamabhan – Volunteer

It was a well organized function where students were enthusiastic to decorate the hall and other activities such as welcoming the guests presenting bouquets, performing skits addressing the gathering at their experience at Unnati. Certificates were issued upon the completion of their course.

“Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labour by taking up another ” – Anatole France

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