SDI’s Retail Centre offers free 60-day training to jobless youth

The Skill Development Institute (SDI), Visakhapatnam has recently set up a Retail Centre of Excellence offering free residential training for 60 days. It gives a real-time exposure to unemployed youth for a career in retail.

The SDI, which has seven satellite centres, two exclusive units for prisoners besides the main campus, is now providing training for jobs in sales and customer service in various shops and establishments.

Started by eight oil PSUs under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation and AP State Skill Development Corporation in October, 2016, SDI’s objective was to create a skilled manpower base. It provides short-term residential courses free of cost as part of Skill India Mission.

Simulated training

With a built-up area of 3,500 sft, the Retail Centre of Excellence has outlets designed on the lines of various shops generally seen in malls and big showrooms in metros. Enquiries have started pouring in from various firms to recruit the institute’s pass-outs.

According to HPCL DGM C.V.N. Das, in the first batch, they have selected 30 youth with Class X qualification. Another batch is under selection. “We have the provision to train four batches simultaneously,” he told The Hindu.

The course syllabus has been prepared by the Retailers’ Association’s Skill Council of India (RASCI). Besides product demo, training is being conducted on store handling, customer interface, maximising sales, post-sale service and positive image building. All the recruits are freshers.

Training prisoners

Set up here at Arilova in three acres in a building rented from GVMC, SDI has a built-up area of nearly 75,000 sft. Besides seven satellite centres called extension centres at Daba Gardens, Srinagar and Madhurawada in the city, Redipalle in Visakhapatnam district, S. Kota and Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram, Kakinada in East Godavari, SDI runs training centres for inmates in central prisons at Rajamahendravaram and and in Visakhapatnam in manual metal arc welding and plumbing courses. In Visakhapatnam jail, a jute bag stitching operator course is imparted additionally.

“All the courses are of 30 to 150-days duration. We take care of students with no compromise on their accommodation, food and training,” said HPCL Senior Manager J. Mahesh.

SDI will move to Sabbavaram once the site allotment and the Skill Development University’s new campus is ready.

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