Technology company, Continental India, plans to extend its “Women for Manufacturing” programme to other industry hubs in a phased manner, including associations with various governmental and non-governmental organisations and industry bodies.
Launched as a 150th anniversary initiative in Bengaluru and Gurugram in June 2021, the programme focuses on three target groups - high school girls, ITI & Engineering students, and unemployed women from underprivileged sections of society.
The major component of the event is a certification programme for employable women, which includes 320 hours of training, including hands-on machinery operations, factory exposure sessions and plant tours.
At the end of the certification programme, which comes under the Capital Goods Skill Council and course level NSQF level-3, the candidates are provided with mentoring, interview preparation support, and placement support.
According to a press release from the company, several manufacturing companies in and around Bangalore and Gurgaon have already hired the women who underwent the certification programme, taking the placement to 100% for the completed batches.
The company stated that according to studies, women comprise about 12% of India’s manufacturing sector. Socio-economic and cultural conditions are some of the many reasons why such disparity exists, but also lack of awareness, relevant education, and wrong perceptions about the manufacturing industry.
Prashanth Doreswamy, President & CEO, Continental India, said that statistics show that in India, women’s workforce participation rate is low, and the manufacturing industry has a lower rate compared to many other industries. COVID had an additional impact, resulting in a further decline in female employment.
“Our Women for Manufacturing initiative hopes to bridge the gender gap in the manufacturing industry. We need more women in the manufacturing sector, and organisations should support the ecosystem to enable this,” he added.