NHAI's 'Project Saksham' empowers rural women via skill development

NHAI's 'Project Saksham' initiative, in collaboration with Vertis Foundation, is empowering rural women near national highways through skill development. Over 6,000 youths have been trained, with 80% being women, leading to sustainable livelihoods.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in partnership with Vertis Foundation, is promoting inclusive development through its initiative 'Project Saksham', aimed at empowering rural women through structured skill development programmes for sustainable livelihood opportunities, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, the initiative focuses on providing industry-relevant training and creating pathways for long-term financial independence and social empowerment for communities residing along national highways.

Project's Reach and Impact

According to the initiative details, Project Saksham operates through 12 training centres across the country and has trained over 6,000 youth so far, with more than 4,000 placed across various sectors. Beneficiaries are earning an average monthly income of Rs 13,000 to Rs 16,000, with over 80 per cent of participants being women.

Fostering Inclusive Growth

The programme is aligned with NHAI's vision of inclusive infrastructure development, with a focus on ensuring that communities near national highways, particularly rural women, benefit from economic opportunities generated by infrastructure expansion.

The initiative is implemented through on-ground engagement, where field teams work closely with rural communities to encourage participation, address socio-cultural barriers and promote skill development and employment opportunities.

Skill Training for Employability

Participants are trained in vocational skills including electrical work, plumbing, appliance repair, tailoring, general duty assistant nursing and multi-skill technician training, aimed at improving employability and financial independence.

The initiative underlines NHAI's focus on ensuring that infrastructure development contributes not only to connectivity but also to inclusive growth and community empowerment. (ANI)

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