SwitchON is a not-for-profit organization and has been promoting solar pumps since 2008. One of the major gaps observed while promoting solar pumps is the lack of trained workforce in the solar sector. But the training materials available for building the workforce was not holistic and lacked on-ground training. To bridge this gap, SwitchON has developed an Open Learning Academy with necessary training materials for skill development.
SwitchON Foundation has tied up with Varunmitra Scheme under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and National Institute of Solar Energy to promote solar training among youth in Jharkhand and West Bengal. An inventory of holistic training materials are being prepared by SwitchON for technical, sales, entrepreneurial and non-technical training of farmers with Skill Council of Green Jobs and National Institute of Solar Energy. All these materials will be made available at the Open Learning Academy by SwitchON. The training materials will be communicated in various forms including videos, presentations, handbooks and handouts. The stakeholders will not just be limited to rural youth but also farmers, bankers and entrepreneurs. All training materials will be disseminated in local languages for better understanding of rural people. A strong partnership has been built between Sector Council of Green Jobs (SCGJ) and SwitchON for training assessments. The training materials are being prepared with grant support from GIZ and Shakti Foundation.
SwitchON also aims to partner with Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to conduct workshops and trainings for rural youth. They will be equipped with best-in-class skills, and provided with formalisation opportunities and secure their employability while driving the renewable energy sector towards sustainability. Post the training sessions, the participants will be certified. There is provision of residential training and on job training to gain practical experience.
SwitchON envisions a world powered by renewable energy but it highlights the need for skill development, innovation and employment to ensure socio-economic development and just transition in this sector. India’s targets of 100 GW of solar and 60 GW of wind can directly create 1.3 million jobs. As communities transition from coal-dependent economies, there is a need now more than ever to diversify local economies and build sustainable solutions for the future. Solar creates new local jobs, and locally-produced energy helps keep money in the communities that need it the most.
Previously, SwitchON has worked under various ministries for the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushal Yojana (DDUGKY) and Suryamitra Skill Development Programme. Over 400 students have participated in our past training programs and 10% of them were women.
In our current programme, we are aiming to provide youth a holistic understanding of solar pumps and build their technical, marketing and entrepreneurial skills. The training programs will be tailored to meet the needs of industry with necessary technical knowledge and practical experience. We will have a strong focus on training women and building their entrepreneurial skills to increase the participation of women in the workforce of green jobs. Renewables have dominated India’s power sector since 2015 and it is time to build a renewable energy workforce.
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