New York – April 30, 2008 – The American India Foundation (AIF) today announced that it will expand its vocational training program in India to 100,000 urban unemployed youth. This program equips then with the skills sought after by employers in high growth industries. The announcement was made at the organization’s fifth annual spring gala at which Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, and Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman of GE were honored for their economic and philanthropic commitment to India.

“70 percent of the Indian workforce is under the age of 30, and 80 percent of the young people entering the workforce do not have a high school education or skills that are needed in the job market,” said Pradeep Kashyap, AIF’s Vice Chair. “Our vocational training model bridges this gap by training young people and placing them in jobs in a range of industries, including retail, hospitality and business procee outsourcing.”

Shabana Kazi, a young widow with two sons and no source of income, was trained as a refrigerator mechanic by Saath, an AIF partner NGO in Gujarat. Shabana now earns more than 7,00 rupees a month. “When I came to Saath, I had no ambition or direction in my life. The training I received has made me confident that I can achieve anything and I now plan to start my own business.”

Picture Courtesy : Michael Toolan

AIF first supported the vocational training initiative in 2003 in Andhra Pradesh throught a partnership with Dr. Reddy’s Labs Foundation, the Department for International Development and the Andra Pradesh Urban Services for the Poor. After the resounding success of the model, the program was transferred to three NGO partners in Gujarat, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh. The government of Gujarat and Jharkhand has actively supported the program and even matched AIF’s funding in their states. 80 percent of the youth who complete the vocational training have found jobs, with a 75 t0 100 percent average increase in their incomes.

“GE and I, salute AIF for the important work they have been doing to accelerate social and economic change in India. By working together with organizations such as AIF, we can ensure India retains and builds on its competitiveness in the global marketplace,” said Mr. Immelt.

The gala, which raised over $2 million, was attended by around 900 guests, including corporate leaders, philanthropists and leaders of the Indian American community. In addition to the awards given to the two honorees, guests participated in a fundraising drive to support the vocational training program conducted by Sandhya Jain Patel of Christie’s and were entertained by the singer Falu and the Columbia University Bhangra team. Tinku Jain, host of Namaste America and noted television personality was the master of ceremonies for the evening.