Building India’s future workforce : VISL’s skilling initiatives transform 1Lac+ lives across states

Goa Khabar : On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, Vedanta Iron And Steel Limited (VISL), a leading ferrous resources company with operations across India & Africa, reaffirmed its commitment to building a future-ready workforce through a diverse portfolio of skilling, education, IT skilling, entrepreneurship and sports development initiatives that continue to create sustainable livelihood opportunities across its operating regions. Aligned with the year’s WYSD theme – Skills for a Shared Future – the company’s initiatives have helped transform over 1 lac+ lives across states.

As India advances towards becoming a global manufacturing and industrial powerhouse, a skilled and employable workforce will be central to achieving the nation’s aspirations. Recognising this, VISL has consistently invested in empowering the youth with technical, vocational, digital and entrepreneurial capabilities, enabling them to become active contributors to economic and social progress.

In Goa, the Sesa Technical School (STS) has been nurturing technical talent for over three decades and has trained more than 2,100+ youth with a near 100% placement record, creating an industry-ready workforce across multiple trades. The STS provides quality technical skilling to the youth of Goa, with special emphasis on encouraging participation of girl students. In Bokaro, the Vedanta ESL Skill School is equipping youth with industry-relevant skills through residential, placement-linked training programmes in trades such as Solar PV Installation and Home Appliance Repair. Since inception in 2022, the Vedanta ESL Skill School has trained over 700 youth, with more than 400 successfully placed in organised sector employment.

Complementing this effort, a total of 25 Vedanta Computer Centres and Vedanta Computer Labs across states such as Goa, Maharashtra & Karnataka, and the learning ‘cafes’ set up as part Project AAS Vidyalaya have benefited students in rural and remote areas of Jharkhand by improving digital literacy and academic outcomes. Overall 80000+ students and youth have benefitted from these digital focused initiatives.

Commenting on the occasion, Pankaj Kumar Sharma, CEO, VISL, said, “The youth of our Nation are the driving force behind India’s growth story, and investing in their skills is an investment in the nation’s future. At VISL, our approach to skilling goes beyond employment by enabling aspiration, nurturing potential and creating pathways to long-term socio-economic progress. Across our operating regions, we are empowering youth through technical education, digital learning, entrepreneurship and sports, helping them build meaningful careers while contributing to the vision of a Viksit Bharat.”

Empowerment through sports is a key focus area for VISL. The Sesa Football Academy, in Goa, has also emerged as a platform for sporting excellence, producing over 230 graduates as part of its unique residential training program, including 14 international players, while enabling the aspirations of 8000+ young footballers, boys and girls alike, through grassroots development programmes. SFA men’s and women’s teams have also made a mark at top National level leagues such as I-League3 and Indian Women’s League (IWL) – 2 and IWL. Meanwhile, the Vedanta ESL Archery Academy in Bokaro has also been making confident strides & has nurtured the careers of over 50 young archers, many of whom have cumulatively won over 200 medals at the district, state and national competitions, while rural sports initiatives have reached more than 400 youth across surrounding villages.

Women’s economic empowerment through vocational training is being advanced through Project JIVIKA across states in Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka and Jharkhand, which has strengthened 280+ self-help groups and benefited over ~4000 women by supporting sustainable micro-enterprises across diverse livelihood activities such as skilling through the Vedanta Tailoring Training Centres, workshops on saree tassels and jute bag making, promoting livelihood through mushroom farming and footwear manufacturing etc.

Together, these initiatives reflect VISL’s holistic approach to youth development, creating opportunities through education, employability, entrepreneurship and sports, while building resilient communities and enabling inclusive growth across the regions where it operates.