SARVAM in association with LTFS provided job preparedness training for the digital sakhis at the Satyam Training Centre, Poothurai village for 3 days from 3rd August to 5th August 2021. The primary objective of this training programme was to ensure the digital sakhis sustainability in the coming days so that they will be able to lead a successful life by earning better.

Though there are lots of jobs available in the job market, people find it very difficult to find a job that will be suitable for them.  This is because they lack some specific skills and also they are not prepared for jobs that are new to them. Digital Sakhis are trained in various skills and SARVAM decided to prepare them for the job interview skills also so that they will be able to attend interviews and get jobs in the future.

The training was provided by one of the leading training organizations in Pondicherry. Digital Sakhis were divided into three batches and training was provided to them by expert trainers who provided wonderful insights on various topics such as resume preparation, answering the interviewers with confidence, essential skills required to get the job, and most importantly, the way one should present for the interview. The training also focused on interpersonal relationships, power of ideas, and self-employment.

Various interactive methods were followed during the training and all the digital sakhis were very much enthused to learn the new skills. Videos, Group Discussions, skits, Games, Role Plays, and oratory were conducted during the training which helped all the digital sakhis to learn the concepts easily. They also were trained to communicate effectively which will be an important aspect in the job market. Resume preparation and the questions that will be asked in an interview and the better way to answer them was also explained to all the digital sakhis who were much use to them. 

After attending the training, a survey was conducted to find out the plans of the digital sakhis and the result showed that around 40% of the digital sakhis have plans to start Seva Kendra in the future. 30% of the digital sakhis have said that they are willing to involve in skills-based employment which will help them to generate more income. The remaining 30% of the digital sakhis said that they are going to apply for BFSI (Banking/ Finance/ Insurance) jobs in the future. Most of them said that the training has helped them to gain more self-confidence so that they will be able to have sustainability even if they are not able to continue as digital sakhis in the coming years.

All the digital sakhis were filled with utmost confidence after attending the training and the trainers also motivated them by giving them insights about various types of jobs that are available in the job market. The doubts raised by the digital sakhis were cleared by the trainers and more opportunity was given to the digital sakhis to come forward and speak. 

The training was conducted by following all the safety protocols laid down by the government for avoiding the spread of the Coronavirus.

“Altogether the 3 days training on job preparedness was a great success and the goal was achieved. More training related to job-related skills will also be conducted soon,” says Ms. Chitra Senthil, one of the directors of SARVAM, the rural development unit of Sri Aurobindo Society.