December 26, 2019 

ICICI Academy for Skills trains over 3,500 women in Lucknow 

ICICI Academy for Skills (ICICI Academy) is an institute set up by the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth (ICICI Foundation) to provide free vocational training to the youth from economically weaker sections to help them earn a sustainable livelihood.

ICICI Academy centre at Lucknow imparts free skill training to less privileged women. This centre offers a course on ‘Office Administration’ which is of three months’ duration. Female candidates who have completed education of at least 10^th standard and are between 18-30 years of age can apply for this course.

Established on May 12, 2015, this centre in Lucknow has trained over 3,500 women till date. It has tied up with Tally Solutions as its knowledge partner to help set up course content for providing training to the candidates. It has also tied up with industry partners to provide employment opportunities to the female students after successful completion of their training. Renowned industry partners like Aditya Birla Capital, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Capital, Bandhan Bank, Reliance Trendz, Shoppers Stop, Spencers, Swiggy and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank among others have recruited trainees from the academy at Lucknow. At present, there are 201 students undergoing training at the centre.

Speaking about ICICI Academy, Mr. Saurabh Singh, President - ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth said, “We set up ICICI Academy for Skills in Lucknow in 2015 with a view to provide vocational training to the less privileged women so that they could earn a sustainable livelihood. The centre at Lucknow has provided free-of-cost training to over 3,500 female candidates so far. A significant achievement of this programme is that 100% of these young women who opted for job placement found suitable employment with various organisations.”

Since its inception in October 2013, ICICI Academy has set up 25 centres across the country and has trained over 1.27 lakh people of which over 48,700 are women. It aims to provide relevant and practical training to the underprivileged youth in 12 disciplines, namely: Selling Skills, Office Administration, Electrical & Home Appliance Repair, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Repair, Central Air Conditioning, Pumps & Motor Repair, Paint Application Techniques, Tractor Mechanic, Two & Three Wheeler Service Technician, Retail Sales, Assistant Beauty Therapist and Home Health Aide. All the students are also trained in specific life skills such as etiquette & grooming, communication, basics about computer and financial literacy which helps them adapt to an organised work environment. In addition to training, ICICI Academy provides uniforms, meal and all relevant course material to the trainees.

ICICI Academy reaches out to target segments through multiple channels depending on relevance in a particular geography. This includes conducting awareness programs in communities, arranging youth counselling sessions in various parts of the state, taking the help of the state government to mobilise candidates, taking help from NGOs, evaluating referrals and walk-in candidates as well as references from employers.

Additional information:

About ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth (ICICI Foundation): It was founded by the ICICI Group in early 2008, with a view to carry forward and build upon ICICI Group's legacy of promoting inclusive growth. ICICI Foundation seeks to promote inclusive growth in India by contributing to the key enablers required for widespread participation in economic opportunities in the country. Through focused initiatives in the identified areas including skill development, sustainable livelihood and financial inclusion, ICICI Foundation is working towards building capabilities and developing innovative models that can be replicated and scaled up in future. It operates through ICICI Academy for Skills, ICICI RSETIs and Rural Livelihood Initiatives.

About ICICI Rural Livelihood Initiatives: In 2016, the ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth started a programme for enabling sustainable livelihood through skill development at villages. This initiative aims at taking a holistic approach towards the development of rural India. The programme offers vocational training to the villagers based on the local needs and helps establish market linkages for them to earn a sustainable livelihood. It aims at improving the income levels of villagers through earnings from new skills or through process improvements in their existing occupations. Training is imparted in over 50 locally relevant skills. The programme also includes a module on Entrepreneurship Development which is an integral part of the curriculum. Through this project, ICICI Foundation has trained more than 2.18 lakh villagers in over 1,200 villages across 29 states. Out of this 60% are women. The availability of a sustainable livelihood at these villages now discourages individuals from migrating to urban locations in search of jobs and incentivize in staying in their own rural setup. 

About ICICI Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs): ICICI Foundation also undertakes skill development activities through the RSETIs in Udaipur and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan. The RSETIs operate two residential centres in these districts along with 19 non-residential centres across various blocks within these districts to provide training to semi-urban and rural underprivileged. The centres impart skill training in over 30 diversified trades based on the requirements of the local economy. Since inception, ICICI RSETIs have trained over 88,300 people of which 54% are women.

Overall Impact: Through all of its initiatives, ICICI Foundation has completed pro bono skill training and livelihood program for over 4.34 lakh people.

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About ICICI Bank: ICICI Bank Ltd (BSE: ICICIBANK, NSE: ICICIBANK and NYSE:IBN) is a leading private sector bank in India. The Bank’s consolidated total assets stood at `12,88,190 crore at September 30, 2019. ICICI Bank's subsidiaries include India's leading private sector insurance, asset management and securities brokerage companies, and among the country’s largest private equity firms. It is present across 15 countries, including India.

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