DISHA, meaning direction, was an initiative to facilitate disadvantaged youth to gain access to jobs in the evolving new economy with self-respect and dignity.

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Contents
S. NO ITEMS Page No
1. About the Programme- “Disha Ek Mouka” 3
2. Foreword 4
3. Executive Summary 5
4. The Rationale 6
5. The trajectory of Disha-‘Ek Mouka’ 7
5.1. Gender composition 7
5.2. Age Groups 7
5.3. Classification based on Social groupings 8
5.4. Educational Qualification 8
5.5. Courses offered under Disha 9
5.6. Gender representation in diverse trades 10
5.7. Training and placement 11
5.8. Placement Status 11
5.9. Remunerations 12
6. Correlation between Variables 13
7. Conclusion 14

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About Disha-“Ek Mouka”
Disha-“Ek Mouka” was a flagship programme of the Moserbaer India Ltd, under which
an initiative was taken to place certain sections of people in the mainstream jobs so that
these underserved people could be finally independent, and could not only earn a
livelihood but also make a career out of it.
. The primary aim of the project was to train underprivileged youth and migrant
population in various trades by providing a holistic livelihood promotion module, which
combines vocational training with skill development training, life skills modules, job
placement and career exploration opportunities through an experiential mode, aimed at
developing confident individuals capable of self-guided growth. The targeted
beneficiaries of the project were drop out students from the villages in the vicinity of
Moser Baer manufacturing units. At Disha, MBT aimed at the ambitious target of
creating 1000 livelihoods, standing up to its commitment towards a better community.
This joint venture of the Moserbaer Trust (MBT), CAP Foundation and USAID India,
was initiated in September 2007 and phased out in October 2010. It was a three-year
project aimed at developing workforce among the disadvantaged youth of the society,
especially in Noida and Greater Noida, to meet the emerging demands of various
corporates.
Disha, meaning direction, was an initiative to facilitate disadvantaged youth to gain
access to jobs in the evolving new economy with self-respect and dignity
The facts presented in this report will thereby pour light on the struggles made to
overcome social and cultural barriers to achieve what has been accomplished in the last
three years from September 2007-October 2010.

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Foreword
India has the largest base of skilled manpower in the world, in the number of graduates
and postgraduates that it churns out every year. But there are a large number of children
and youth who drop out after different grades in education, i.e. primary, middle and
secondary and higher secondary. We all know that human resource is undoubtedly the
most powerful tool for the economy of the country. In India, more than 54 % population
is below 25 years of age, which gives us the status of being the youngest country in the
world. We have large number of youth in the age group of 19-24 years who are either un-
employed or under-employed. According to the International Labour Organisation,
India has approximately 39 million registered unemployed persons. According to
iWatch, a Mumbai-based voluntary organization, there are probably another 260
million who are underemployed or unemployed in the age group of 18-50 years. At the
same time, the organised private sector is struggling to find skilled workers, which in
turn is impacting its ability to compete on a global scale. This accounts for a large base
of untapped manpower, that if can be trained properly shall make India the largest hub
of skilled manpower in the world.
Skill development can be used as a tool to enhance the employability and earning
capacity of the youth. Quality and relevance of skill development is the key to India’s
global competitiveness as well as improvement of individuals’ access to decent
employment. Quality in any skill development programme cannot be ensured unless
the quality of trainers is assured. There is a need for expansion of available
infrastructure for instructors’ training in the country. Emphasis is needed for training
and retraining of instructors not only in skills related to specific trade, but also in areas
like Quality Management Tools, IT–Literacy and Life Skills. Considering the fact that
government has it limited outreach, the private public partnership can be an alternative
to increase and deepen the outreach to the beneficiaries.

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Executive summary
The programme aimed to provide equal opportunity to the rural youth, both boys and
girls from the villages of Noida and Greater Noida, from diverse social backgrounds, in
an inclusive manner. Under Disha, three courses were offered to the students–
Customer Relations & Sales, IT Enabled Services and Office Assistant. At the end of
their course, the students have successfully been placed with companies like Mc
Donalds, DLF, Reliance Communications, Kailash Hospital, Barista, ICICI Finance,
Eureka Forbes, etc. with initial salaries ranging from 3,000 – 6,000 Rupees, now
exceeding over 7500/- per month.
In the first phase from September 2007-August 2008, 1138 students were placed in
jobs. In the second phase, 822 students graduated (which includes 676 males and 146
female students) and 533 placed in jobs.
Close on the success of the three consecutive batches, more batches were started at
Dadri in Greater Noida, offering courses in hospitality, IT hardware and services, office
assistant and bedside patient assistance. Road shows and mobilization activities were
also conducted for opening another centre near Moser Baer’s plant at Noida.
In the face of challenges, and with untiring efforts, 24% girls received training under the
aegis of Disha, while 76% boys benefitted through Disha’s skill development
programme. The projected was designed to train the dropout youth falling between the
age brackets of 18- 35 years, with market based skills to cater the local needs of the area.
The project saw 66% of the total students falling under the age group of 16-20years,
followed by 21% between the age group of 21-25years. Of the total representation, 48%
students hailed from the OBC background, followed by SCs at 12% and 8% minority
background.
The students trained under the Disha skill development programme were mostly school
dropouts; 32% of the students were higher secondary dropouts; and only 14% and 1%
students were Graduate and post graduate, respectively. To add value to programmes
offered to the students as per their choice, some courses were made mandatory for all
students, in addition to any particular courses they opted for, considering them vital for
their all-round growth. These were personality development, computer fundamentals
and basic life skills. Hence, providing much needed assistance in career counseling to
the disadvantaged youth, who could otherwise not have attained such kind of training
for lack of or meager financial resources.
The overall placement rate under the programme has been 77.75%, with the overall
dropout rate at 22% only. Subsequent follow ups have discovered that 95% of the
students are still in the jobs they were placed in with a significant progressive change in
their work profile, salaries and companies.

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Rationale
Noida, a part of district Gautambudh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, known as electronic city,
has been observing a rapid industrialization that is leading to a huge demand of skilled
workforce in the area. Though, industrialization has been proven a blessing for a
handful of people who have got a handsome compensation against their land
acquisition, at the same time it has also become a source of population influx from
various corners of the country to metropolitan cities. To meet the demand of global
market, emphasis is given to recruiting the workforce with right kind of skills sets who
can keep their pace with new technological developments. In the absence of requisite
skills, growing competitive market has been witnessing a gap between the demand and
supply of the skilled workforce.
In a recent report published by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the
Boston Consulting Group (BCG), it has been estimated that India would face ‘talent gap’
of more than 5 million by 2012, as existing educational institutions do not impart
employable skills. The report titled, ‘India’s Demographic Dilemma’, brings out the fact
that $1.1-trillion economy will have a shortfall of 7, 50,000 skilled workers over the next
five years. In contrast, during the same period there will be a surplus of 1.3 million
unskilled and unqualified school dropouts and illiterates. If we rely on this estimated
data then we must understand that talent gaps if widened in the process could only lead
to choking economic development and become counterproductive in the form increasing
crime rate and other social evils.
Therefore, there is a need to focus on imparting vocational training to the youth into
market driven skills whereby they can earn bread for their better sustenance.
Worldwide, about 80 per cent of the population between 15 to 35 years of age learns a
vocation, a skill or a trade, with a choice of 3000 VET programs. India has only
identified about 500 courses and according to a recent World Bank study, less than 3
per cent of our population undergoes formal VET training. Hence, some concentrated
efforts are needed for establishing the avenues that could impart skills to the youth as
per their capacities and the need of the area.
Against this backdrop, realizing the need for skill development programme, the MBT
with its rich experience of working with the youth, intended to provide them training on
various skills and trades suiting the local market requirement. Disha-Ek Mouka
therefore was launched with the intention to train unemployed, drop out and unskilled
youth in market driven skills to equip them to earn a decent livelihood.

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The trajectory of Disha-‘Ek Mouka’
Gender composition
The programme aimed to provide equal
opportunity to the rural youth, both
boys and girls, from diverse social
backgrounds, in an inclusive manner.
To bring the females to join workforce
or for that matter, any training, is a
challenging task in itself. The socio-
cultural barriers attached with the
females are well known. The same was
encountered by the programme
associates and required family
counseling and other such engagement with parents to win their
trust and support in the interest of the girls. Gradually, with much effort, 24% girls
received training successfully under the aegis of Disha. A lot is to be achieved in this
direction, but though low, the percentage of girls’ representation is an impetus for
further endeavours.
On the other hand, it was a triumph to have benefitted 76% males through its skill
development programme. Through the initiative, the early school drop- outs and those
already employed received training to acquire and enhance skills, ensuing into better job
prospects eventually.
Age Groups
The projected was designed to
train the dropout youth falling
between the age brackets of 18- 35
years, with market based skills to
cater the local needs of the area.
Though, it was meant for males
above 18years of age but there
were also boys of age 16 to 17
years who wished to enroll
themselves in several different
personality development
programmes. Studies have shown
that India has large number of youth in age group of 19-24
years who are either un-employed or under-employed. According to the International
Labour Organisation, India has approximately 39 million registered unemployed
Total Beneficiaries - 2131
Total Beneficiaries - 1982

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persons. Thus, envisaging promising prospects for employment after the completion of
training, youth, mostly males came forward to enroll into the programme. The project
saw 66% of the total trainees falling under the age group of 16-20years, followed by 21%
between the age group of 21-25years.
Classification based on Social groupings
It is often seen that the labour class in
India is constituted mostly of the
marginalized social groups and
minorities, namely the Other
Backward Castes (OBC), Scheduled
Castes and Tribes (SC & ST), the
Muslims and other social cultural
minorities. Physical handicaps make
the people with disabilities even more
vulnerable among various social
groupings, when they hail from
deeply
marginalized ethnic groups. However, standing to the objective of inclusive growth of its
beneficiaries, the project gave an opportunity to the youth from diverse social and ethnic
entity to receive training in market based skills. Of the total representations, 48% hailed
from the OBC background, followed by SCs at 12% and 8% minority sections.
The migrants coming from the adjoin states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar etc. and settled
here for assured livelihood are 21% of the total beneficiaries in the areas of project’s
operation in Noida and Greater Noida. Notably, only a smaller segment of 7% belonging
to the general category enrolled themselves in the programme. This further justified the
need to introduce such a programme in the areas to assist the marginalized social
groups by way of offering them the most needed skills for employment, in conjunction
with developing their personalities, instilling confidence in them
Educational Qualification
As depicted in the chart, 50% of the
total students enrolled in the
programme were educated up to the
senior secondary level. 32% of the
students were higher secondary
dropouts; and only 14% and 1%
enrolled students were Graduate and
post graduate, respectively. This
persistently viewed trend of youth
Total Beneficiaries – 2295 (including disabled &migrants
Total Beneficiaries - 2131

9. 9
dropping out at senior secondary level either could possibly be due to two perceivably
evident reasons- poverty and urgency to earn to supplement family income, in some
cases run the household entirely. Thus, the programme suited their interest and
equipped them with market driven skills so that they could have decent opportunities
for dignified sustenance.
However, the country continues to face stern challenges with rampant unemployment
and underemployment, driving the youth astray in the absence of stable career. Despite
growing investment in education, 35% of its population is still illiterate; only 15% of
Indian students reach high school, and just 7% graduate. Secondary education covers
children of age group 14-18 years which is 88.5 million children according to the Census,
2001. However, enrolment figures show that only 31 million of these children were
attending schools in 2001-02, which means that two-third of the population remained
out of school. The objective of this project to engage drop out students into market
driven skills to get into an entry level has been achieved, which is quite evident from the
results this project has showcased.
Courses offered under Disha
Disha programme was
implemented into two
phases in Delhi and
National Capital Region
(NCR). A detailed need
assessment was done to
assess the market needs.
Subsequently, 3 training
centres were operated in
each phase. In the 1st
phase, centres ran across
Dadri, Surajpur, Gama
and Chalera areas, and in
the second phase centres
operated across Khora, Shaheen Bagh, Kotla, and Bhangel,
catering to the demand of the industry sector for sales executive in shopping malls etc.
As result of the same, Customer Relation and Sales (CRS) was found to be most popular
amongst all trades, followed by Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES). Of the
total, 28% and 22% were trained in these two trades, respectively. To add value to
programmes offered as per student’s choice, some courses were made mandatory for the
students, in addition to any particular courses they opted for, considering them vital for
their all-round growth. These were personality development, basic computer and basic
life skills. Personality development entailed training for facing interview,
Total Beneficiaries - 2131

10. 10
communication skills, basic spoken English, games, group interaction and so on.
Interest inventory tests were conducted on the students to enroll them into courses of
their choice and aptitude.
A considerable number of students (15%) were also trained in the hospitality trade, and
the need for introduction of additional trades (as depicted in the chart) emerged after
the two batches were successfully completed. There were a few courses that were
introduced in lieu of area specific demand, like the Bed Side Patient Assistance (BSPA),
and IT hardware, etc. whereby, the students of the area were trained in those only,
ofcourse, after seeking their confirmation for the same. The BSPA course was run in
Shaheen Bagh and had around 22 students trained in this particular trade.
Disha, hence, proved its worth by giving career counseling to the disadvantaged youth,
who could otherwise not have attained such sort of training for lack of or meager
financial resources.
Gender representation in diverse trades
As mentioned above, it was a
challenge to get the females
out of their homes to join the
programmes due to deep
rooted cultural barriers. The
female representation in
training programmes was
although very less, yet, BSPA
was the course which had
maximum representation of
female trainees. In Microsoft
unlimited potential
programme (MSUP) and
Desktop Publication (DTP) courses, an almost equal representation of both boys and
girls was observed; otherwise, the huge difference in the enrollment of the two in other
courses is evident from the chart. It is important to reiterate that to have even this
percentage of females to come forward for the courses has set the precedence for
launching further such programmes; having won the trust of their parents at the micro
and community at the macro level. It would not be an exaggeration to hope that a
change in the lives of the trained females will surely touch the lives of other families who
did not send their girls for the course, sooner or later.

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Training and placement
Success of any skill development
programme is rated by the
number of students placed in
gainful employments
successfully. Disha achieved the
desired results in its both phases.
In the first phase, it proved a
grand success by having placed
around 85% trained students of
1137 total trained youth from
across 110 villages of Noida &
Greater Noida in various
company outlets like McDonald,
Pizza Hut, Reliance, ICICI, HDFC, and Lifestyle etc. In view of the accomplishment of
Disha - Ek Mouka, phase I students, Moser Baer Trust organized the Convocation Day
to award the successful students. It was due to this victory that MBT announced the
launch of the second phase of Disha - Ek Mouka, on 21st of October 2008. Since, the
overall placement rate under the programme has been 77.75%, with the overall dropout
rate at 22% only.
Placement Status
After placing the students with
various companies’ outlets
successfully, the follow ups were
made to ascertain the status of their
employment. The post placement
survey was conducted for the youth
of Noida, covering 4 ETCs of
Bhangel, Dadri, Challera and Gama.
The survey also revealed the
satisfaction of the employers with
the students and also gave
information on the future plans of
the candidates. To be precise, the post placement survey was to
see whether the programme was a successful one or not. Through the follow ups
procedures it has come to light that 95% of the students are still in the jobs with a
significant progressive change in their work profile, salaries and companies. Few of
Total Beneficiaries - 1860

12. 12
them were promoted to the upper rung of the companies and rewarded with the ‘Best
Employee’ awards as well. The remaining 5% students were found to have quit the jobs
in pursuance of higher studies. Few of them have even started their own small
enterprises.
Remunerations
The average income at which the students
were placed in different companies’ outlets
under Disha programme was Rs. 4500/-pm.
As shown in the chart, a major proportion of
the placed students are now earning a decent
salary of over Rs. 8000-9000/-, with a few
also earning a remuneration of Rs. 7500-
9000/- per month. The companies like Aditya
Birla, Sunlife and More for You are the major
employers of the trained students in their
respective branches across the city.
Income Earned
44%
14%
4%
17%
12%
8%
0%
0%
1%
Below 1500
Rs. 1501- 2500
Rs. 2501-3500
Rs. 3501- 4000
Rs. 4001 - 5000
Rs 5001 -6000
Rs. 6001-7500
Rs. 7500-8000
Rs 8000-9000
Total Beneficiaries - 1638

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Co-relation between variables
Age vs. Income
The results have shown that students falling between the age group of 15-20 years and
21-25 years were employed with a higher salary and have been elevated to the higher
levels in their jobs in a short span of time. 40% students belonging to the age group of
21-25 years are the highest paid category with Rs.4000-5000/- pm, while 34%trained
students belonging to the age group of 16-20 years, earn salaries ranging from Rs. 2500-
3500 pm. This shows that the youth in the age group of 21-25 are mature and efficient in
dispensing their responsibilities, achieving their targets and focused. This can be backed
up with the clear nature of their jobs, in which their remunerations keep escalating on
the basis of incentives they earn from achievement of the given targets.
Nevertheless, the contrary is also to be viewed in all seriousness, which reveals that
youngsters of less than the employable age earn less. It may not be wrong to say that at
this age it is important to provide them continued education and not push them into
work sector, at an age which requires shaping of their vision based on vocational skill
accompanied with quality education. However, poverty and other obstacles make
uninterrupted education a farfetched aspiration for these children. Hence, both
vocational skills and education is required to have a stable career, and all efforts are
therefore, made by the MBT to add value to the existing government school education
through its other initiatives, and enroll the dropouts in useful skills.
Course vs. high salary
Equilibrium in the demand and supply leads to better pay for the students with requisite
skills. The NCR, especially Noida, which is known as an ‘electronic city’, has developed
into a hub of various companies’ outlets, generating huge demand for skilled persons in
customer relation and sales (CRS). The project assessed the demand of the market and
trained the people in relevant and needed skills in the same area. Resultantly, students
trained in this course are paid higher remuneration. A total of 29% students draw a
salary of over Rs. 6000/-per month. Out of the total placed students, 45% are engaged
in CRS trade, whereas 34% and 21% are from ITES and Hospitality, respectively.
Gender barriers vs. job placement
Despite considerable enrollment of girls under Disha, the placement ratio of girls in
employment is very low. Families’ approval for joining the workforce is perceived to be a
major obstruction for the girls for pursuing a job. Only 11% of the trained females
showed courage and sought jobs. Therefore, it can again be seen how the gender
constructs are always at play in the society, where girls are forced to remain confined to

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household chores. This paves way for engaging with the families even more, to counter
the deep-seated patriarchy in a culturally acceptable manner.
Gender vs. course selection
As evident from the results that the highest paid courses were CRS, ITES and
Hospitality, the representation of females is low in such jobs. Only 19% of the total
enrolled females were a part of the CRS course, whereas 18% and 14% completed their
training in ITES and Hospitality courses, respectively. Yet, as stated above, the social
and cultural barriers, family approval etc. have deterred them from even applying for
jobs in which they have received training.
Conclusion
Therefore, Disha Ek Mouka reached its culmination and achieved satisfactory results by
providing employment opportunity to 1671 youth. It also provided an insight into
various deep rooted social and cultural dynamics of the society, particularly in the rural
arena- its impact on the implementation of the project, and viability of a partnership for
accomplishing the envisaged results within the project timeframe and vice versa. The
findings of this report surfaced that social and cultural factors had pushed the girls to
the back fore from getting into job of their choice due to pressure from the family and
social norms. On the other hand, in the absence of family pressure, a large number of
male counterparts were employed into jobs, thereby, exhibiting a patriarchal mindset of
the society. The project intended to create 2000 livelihood opportunities for rural youth
in two years, which could not be done within its decided time frame due to various
operational reasons. During the due course, MBT also learnt that adherence to systems
and processes, monitoring mechanism and constant review of the progress play a
significant and non negotiable role in the success and completion of any programme.
There should be some clear demarcation of the areas where the consideration can be
made and should strictly be followed. There are certain things like quality of the
programme, time frame, taking mutual decisions, etc. that should not be compromised
with. Thus, it can be seen that the programme was a success, exceeding the target of
creating 1000 livelihoods. At the same time, it was also a lesson for the MBT to partner
with a firm system in place for adherence by the partnering organizations for swift and
timely implementation of the programmes. The learning derived from this project firms
up MBT’s belief in carrying ahead such initiatives that have proved to be instrumental in
transforming the lives of rural youth in a positive manner.