Youth Empowerment Support (YES)

[ Providing Skills training and Micro-credit loans to the unemployed youths ]

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Background

YES stands for YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SUPPORT, which was previously known as "Promotional Agency for Development of Micro Enterprises (PADME). It was initially started with an objective to extend a micro-credit loan fund for youths under the Office of Planning Commission in 1977. In the view of an administrative reform, the responsibility for managing the loan fund was transferred to the Department of Home, on 7^th April 2003. Later on the Department developed it into a youth empowerment support programme (YES) as it is known these days.

Aims & Objectives

The overall goal (vision) of the programme is to make Tibetan youths productive and independent with self-employed in various trade and skills. However, its specific objectives is to promote gainful and self-employment to school drop-out and unemployed youths in the exile communities with following strategies:

1. Empower Tibetan youth through appropriate career guidance and promotion and support of self managed enterprises
2. Motivate the youth to have a positive outlook and engage in diverse economic activities
3. Impart relevant skill training
4. Provide soft start-up loans to set up micro-enterprises
5. Organizing different types of workshops - motivation, counseling, conflict resolution, business management and simple book keeping

Programmes implemented under YES

Under the YES's umbrella, two programmes are being implemented viz. the Micro-credit activities and the Vocational training. For vocational training, a unit called "Institute for Small Trade Learning" (ISTL) has been set up at Nelamangala Taluk, Bangalore in 2003 wherein all the trainees are accomodated.

A: Skill Training (Click » YES Skill training forms)

Various trainings are provided to 90-100 unemployed and school drop-out youths every year in an average of 2 batches. The training opportunity is open to all the Tibetan Settlements in India. The duration of the training varies from 3 months to 6 months to some even up to 18 months depending upon the time and requirements of an individual course/skill.

Variuos voacational training provided are: Tailoring, Carpentry, Organic farming, Information technology, Beautician, Hairdressing, Medical Transcription, Retail execution (salesman), Electricians, Electronics, Plumbing, Photography, Food craft, Mechanic-cum-driving, Traditional thanka painting, Modern oil painting, Bakery etc. are imparted. Click HERE to see some of the pictures of courses mentioned here.

All the trainees are provided with facilities of Board, lodging, transportation, training fee etc. at free of cost. After the training, they are given the first priority to receive micro-credit depending upon their interests in setting up relevant micro-enterprises

You may click HERE for some pictures of the Institute for Small Trade Learning (ISTL) at Nelamangala, Bangaloru, and some more ...

B. Micro-Credit programme (Click » YES Micro-Credit Loan forms)

Certain norms are formulated for applying loan. The programme is open to all the people falling in the age range of 18 years minimum and 50 years maximum. However, priorities are given to those who have undergone skill training under the CTRC's YES programme and looking forward to setting up the same enterprise within their own settlement or a radius of 300 Kms from the settlement. Detailed business plan is required to be submitted as per the given business plan format. The ceiling for the micro-credit is set at Rs. 100,000/- for an individual enterprise, Rs. 300,000/- for a partnership of 2 people, and Rs. 500,000/- for a group of more than 3 people. As the programme is entirely meant for empowerment purpose, the interest charged on the capital is barely 3% per annum with the maximum repayment duration of 5 years. The repayment schedule is mandatory for each loan depending upon the nature of the enterprises. All possible legal agreements secured to run the disbursement system smoothly.

• To provide financial assistance to set up micro-enterprises to promote self-employment.
• The ceiling for micro-credit is set at INR 100,000/- for an individual enterprise, INR 300,000/- for a partnership, INR 500,000/- for more than 3 applicants with interest merely at 3% annually.
• The first priority is given to the skill-trained youths and the organic farming, the rest would be the lay people who needs loan to set up a sustainable micro enterprises.
• The enterprise location should not exceed 300 kilometers from the Tibetan settlement.

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Implementation Structure of YES

Implementation of the Training programme is being done at three levels -

1. Head Office Level,
2. Settlement Level and
3. Training Institute Level

while the Implementation of Micro-Credit is done at two levels as under:

1. Head Office Level and
2. Settlement Level.

1. Head Office Level:

• The Secretary, CTRC is the chief implementing officer assisted by Welfare section In charge, Program officer and its assistant.
• Looks after the overall programme
• Information on training & loan programme are circulated via settlement offices, websites and newspapers.
• It gives directions on selection of trainees and changes in the Programme to the concern officers at settlement level.

2. Settlement Office Level:

• The settlement officer is the chief implement-ing agent assisted by Office Secretary, REPROs (Regional Programme Officer) and four village leaders including a woman leader, if any.
• Decentralized work for more effectiveness and grass root level involvement.
• Candidates are first approve by the YES Local Committee and then verified by the Head Of-fice.
• Implementation with full participation from the settlement level members.

3. Training Institute Level:

• Institute for Small Trade Learning (ISTL) has been set up at Nelamangala Taluk, Bangalore; to accommodate skill training cum residential facilities
• It is managed by a administrator who assumes overall responsibility & welfare of the ISTL under the direction of the head office, CTRC.
• The final selection of the trainees is done in ISTL.
• Our own resourceful people i.e. Tibetan trainers, provides carpentry and tailoring trainings in the ISTL. Beautician training facility has been already set up within the ISTL, and steps are in progress to gradually set up most of the trainings within the ISTL premises, which obviously would take quite time and financial sources.

Some Numerical Facts:

• According to Tibetan Demography Survey of 1998, there were 4090 unemployed youths who were seeking jobs without any skills. Literally, around 500 to 600 youths graduates from schools/colleges/professional courses every year, half of which along with the school dropouts remain stranded without any jobs or opportunities for higher or further education.
• Initially, the training opportunities were provided to the youths from 5 main settlements but this has been progressively expanded to 8 settlements in 2001, 10 in 2003 (including Jammu Kashmir & Arunachal Pardesh) and finally extended to all the settlements in India from 2006-07.
• Different trainings are being provided to 90-100 unemployed youths every year in an average of 2 batches. The duration of the training varies from 3 to 6 months to 18 months depending upon the time requirement of the particular training.
• 700 Youths have benefited from training initiative till April 2008, out of which approx 45% are self employed or employed.
• Till March 2009, 119 have availed the start-up loan to start their micro-enterprises and benefited from micro-credit facility; out of which 78 have cleared their repayment. This is programme has been running very successfully with the repayment rate outstandingly at 97%.

YES in pictures »

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