VOCATIONAL TRAINING MISSION
Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been collaborating
with the Bankers Institute of Rural and Entrepreneurship Development (BIRED) to provide
training to rural youth in various income generating skills and activities. It was established in
2007 jointly by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development {NABARD) and five leading Public Sector Banks working in the state. The Institute,
a first of its kind in India, is registered as a not-for-profit society under Andhra Pradesh
Societies Registration Act, 2001. After bifurcation of the state, the Institute is serving both the
states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The district officers of SSSSO are responsible for
intake of trainees and arrangements at the training venue, while BIRED provides support for
trainer costs, boarding and other training expenses. Training is typically taken to the
doorstep of trainees. BIRED arranges for trainers to visit various districts and impart training to
the youth. It also has its own in-campus training programmes.
During the year 2018-19, 55 programmes were conducted for unemployed rural youth with
a participation of 1 ,894 trainees. Various training programmes were offered over the course
of the year that included mobile servicing, accounting package Tally with GST, PC
hardware and laptop servicing, domestic electrical services and agricultural pump set
repair {all for men}; tailoring and fashion designing, MS-Office, Zardosi and Maggam works,
beauty parlour management and, accounting package Tally with GST {all for women).
Other innovative programmes offered recently include a new course called “GST with Tally
ERP 9 proficiency” to unemployed B. Com graduates; and training of women auto drivers in
a programme called “SHE AUTO” at Tirupati. A hundred women have been trained so far
under this programme. Loans were sanctioned by Andhra Bank to 54 She-Auto drivers to the
tune of ₹81 lakhs.
SSSSO has found that such collaborations are rewarding and productive when organizations
like BIRED bring in expertise, resources and a mission that aligns with the objectives of SSSSO’s
service programmes.
