Twenty-year-old Prasanta Kumar Behera is the son of a subsistence-level marginal farmer of Kendrapara district in Orissa.  The family’s monthly income of Rs 3000-4000 did not grant him the opportunity to pursue education beyond class 10. He thus began looking for a training course to help him find a source of livelihood.

However, he could not get admission in a Government ITI; pursuing the ITI course from a private institute at Rs 34,000 was very expensive for him. He never even mentioned his desire to his parents. Somehow, his father, having learnt of his interest, struggled to make arrangements for the fees.

On completing the 2-year ITI course in electrician trade, Prasanta failed to find himself a job because of lack of technical experience and communication skills. Added to this disappointment was the pressure that his father was struggling to repay the loans he had taken for paying the fees. He thus started working as a local electrical contractor on daily wages of Rs 200-300, giving him not more than Rs 2000-3000 each month. Seeing his predicament, his maternal uncle, who was working with Kohler India, introduced him to the SNS Foundation’s skill development program in Gurugram.

Prasanta enrolled in the two-month residential combo course (Electrician & Plumbing), and made house wiring his core area of expertise. He gained hands-on experience of electrician and also underwent technical training. He also got the opportunity to improve his communication skills, gaining the confidence to appear for interviews and converse with colleagues at the workplace. He joined English Speaking Classes and also learnt the basics of MS Office in the Computer Classes.

Immediately after completing the combo course, he was selected by the Vatika Group, Gurugram-based builders, as an electrician in the maintenance department, at a monthly salary of Rs 10,000. Now he sends back Rs 5000 to his parents each month towards the repayment of loan.

Says Prasanta, “I believe that it’s not just a degree or certificate that gets you a job. A positive attitude combined with technical and communication skills are what really make the difference. I am very grateful to the SNS Foundation for giving me an opportunity to prove myself. I have advised several of my unemployed friends to enroll themselves in the the Foundation’s courses. After obtaining significant field-level experience through my job in Gurugram, I would like to return to my village and become a role model for youth there. After all, if I can learn to earn with dignity, why can’t others?”