August News /

Renewable Energy and its Potential for Youth Employment – YES India

The YES India Network provided scholarships to 19 youth from the Nagaland and Mizoram YES State Networks to undergo a three-month intensive skill-training course in solar technologies dealing with solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and solar drying technologies. The scholarships, sponsored by the Indo German Social Service Society (IGSSS) North East, covered all participant costs for the training. IGSSS, a strong partner of the YES India Networks, is the host of the YES Networks in the north eastern region of India and is committed to nurturing the YES Networks in the region.

The training was organized at the recently established Renewable Energy Training Center, a collaborative initiative of YES Campaign and SRT Rural Institute (SRTRI) in Hyderabad, India.  The Renewable Energy Training Center is well equipped with solar laboratories for solar photovoltaic, solar thermal and solar drying technologies, an outdoor Solar Energy Park, hostel facilities and a small library that compliments the training center. In addition to the technologies available, the center also has an appropriate Skill Training Manual and Curriculum with a special emphasis on entrepreneurship development.  This curriculum was developed by the YES Campaign and SRTRI through a multi-stakeholders’ consultative process, taking into account input and feedback from various training agencies and private sector businesses in the renewable energy sector. The center is equipped to provide the trainees with hands-on training in manufacturing, assembling, servicing, installing and repairing skills for household solar energy systems. 

Throughout the training, special emphasis was given to the Entrepreneurship Development Program, focusing on the development of business plans and the process of seeking funding from financial institutions. The youth were taken on exposure visits to manufacturing industries. The participants also engaged with leaders from the private sector to provide an industrial perspective to the trainees. They were informed about the policy framework in Renewable Energy Sector by Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy (MNES) and Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NEDCAP).  Upon completion of their training on July 10th, many of the participants found job opportunities within local industries.  Several of the trained youth are exploring opportunities to initiate entrepreneurial projects with the support of the YES Campaign and IGSSS in renewable energy technologies, particularly in LED lighting and solar dryers for food processing, such as bamboo shoots, ginger, tapioca, mushroom, jack fruits, gooseberry, banana and etc.

The tremendous commitment shown by the IGSSS in building the capacity of the youth in the North Easter Region of India is a clear illustration of the great strides that can be made through collaboration and partnership with other organizations committed to the promotion of sustainable livelihood opportunities for the youth.