The SAGE Foundation has the mission of providing job skills training and placement for underprivileged youth into entry-level white-collar jobs in India. These types of jobs tend to give these youth higher income levels than the regular blue-collar work they are offered, which helps to substantially raise the economic position of their under-resourced families.
The SAGE Foundation incorporates an Al-driven EdTech platform to develop English Communications, Selling Skills, Problem Solving, Collaboration, Professionalism & Industry Knowledge in students within a 45-day period.
Over the last two years, SAGE Foundation has trained 7000+ low-income youth to get jobs in the BFSI Sector at average salaries between Rs. 2.40 Lakh to Rs. 3.00 Lakh per annum.
SAGE Foundation provides Diploma courses in areas like BFSI, ITES, Digital Marketing etc and uses a blended learning platform which incorporates behavioural science & data analytics to develop the following employability traits which are in high demand by companies:
- Professionalism
- Pro-activeness
- Team Working
- Critical Thinking/Problem solving
- English Communication skills
SAGE’s employability model is capital efficient, as its technology infrastructure and admin costs are subsidised by its sister company Smart Institute Pvt. Ltd. More than 90% of funds raised are used for implementing its skilling projects. Around 6000 students in Mumbai have been trained to get jobs in the BFSI sector through grant funding from JP Morgan and other funders at salaries up to Rs. 450,000/ per annum.
We aim to expand our reach to train 1 million students in Indian tier two cities like Nashik, Pune, Vadodara, Indore, and Ahmedabad. We are looking for additional funding partners and NGOs to help us reach this goal.
White Collar Jobs For Low Income Youth
SAGE Foundation helps families move from the Deprived segment to the Aspiring segment which gives them a pathway to the Middle Class segment
Blue collar jobs in sectors such as automobiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, metals, cement, rubber and electrical machinery are among the lowest paid jobs in India due to increased contractualisation, a preference for capital investment over labour & tough labour laws. This has left Indian blue-collar workers struggling to stay above the poverty line according to a report by IIM (A) & Monster India.
Hence, training low income youth for blue collar jobs will not help lift their families out of poverty.
On the other hand, 48% of Indian corporates in the BFSI, FMCG, IT/ITES, Logistics & Retail sectors find it difficult to fill entry level executive job roles according to Manpower Group’s annual Talent Shortage Survey. The India Skills Report 2021 says that many companies will focus on remote work & online customer interactions after the COVID lockdown. Hence most entry level jobs will be in the customer sales & support areas where employees are skilled at remote interactions. Entry level employees who have English communication, sales and technical skills will be in well suited for these jobs. Unfortunately, a majority of youth from low income families usually cannot aspire for these jobs as they lack the above mentioned skills.
The SAGE Foundation’s white collar job-skills program enables low income youth get trained & placed in white collar jobs within a 45-90 day time period.
Education Projects
The SAGE Foundation’s mission is to help underprivileged youth enter white-collar jobs in India by offering job-oriented programs in Banking and Digital marketing.
Student Success Stories
Our students inspire us with their courage and perseverance and are a reminder that any obstacles can be overcome. Let’s heed our students’ inspiring success stories.
Neha’s father passed away last year, and his plumbing supplies shop had closed. However, after taking our program and polishing her skills from the training, Neha is working in IIFL Securities as an Equity Dealer. Luckily, her job is of great support to her family.
Neha Raghani
Rahul’s widowed mother works in a grocery store and Rahul is her only child. Whereas, Rahul dreams of opening his own business one day. To give wings to his dream, we provided him with the right guidance & training through the program. Prosperously, he currently works as a Customer Care Executive in Axis Securities.
Rahul Jadhav
Tanvi’s father is physically handicapped but ran a small business until COVID bankrupted him. To safeguard her family and fulfill her dreams, our program shaped and made her Industry-ready. Presently, Tanvi works as a Customer Care Executive at Axis Securities. She is the only earning member of her family.
Tanvi Kulkarni
Komal’s father lost his job in a restaurant which closed due to COVID. Whereas Her mother works as domestic help, but her salary is not enough to support the family. However, the learnings & knowledge acquired from our program aided her to secure a job in HDFC Securities as a Relationship Manager
Komal Jadhav
Sarthaki’s father works from home as a third-party collection agent for banks. She has a family of 5 to support with an aged mother and two children. Although, her dedication and our persistence to build her career through our program helped Sarthaki set foot in Kotak Mahindra Bank in the Outbound Process department.
Sarthaki
SAGE Foundation Activities
SAGE Foundation has worked across sectors with range of partners. Here are some highlights.
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