Client Name: American India Foundation (AIF)
Location: Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai
Background Context: AIF conceptualized the ‘Engage to Empower’ Program focused on creating aspirational career pathways and enabling candidates who lost livelihoods or lives of earning members due to Covid-19. The program specifically prioritizes women, persons with disabilities (PwDs), marginalized youth, and families who lost their earning members (henceforth referred to as “target groups”). Key focus areas of the program are:
Objectives
Development Solutions was commissioned to undertake a formative assessment, to finetune the program design and inform the program implementation in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad. The assessment had two objectives:
Approach and Methodology
Impact
The study findings assisted AIF in understanding the post-Covid employment landscape for women, PwDs and marginalized youth. Further, the study highlighted the target groups’ expectations with respect to skilling programs and career aspirations; both aspects deemed critical for optimal program uptake and retention. The study put forth recommendations to strengthen program design and delivery to optimize program uptake among target groups. The findings and recommendations were taken into consideration during program roll-out.