Cement major Lafarge India Private Limited has launched 'Project Employability', a programme designed to train rural unemployed youth and make them self reliant.
The project, launched at Khagaripara near Jamshedpur, was conceived in accordance with the company's aim to become the most preferred partner of the community, Atul Khosla, vice-president of the Jojobera unit of Lafarge, said on Sunday.
About 40 rural youths from different villages in the area near the cement plant would be given about a month's training under the project from Monday, he said.
Earlier, Jharkhand Minister for Building Construction Raghuvar Das said this was the first time that any corporate body from the building and construction industry had taken up such a social project. The training imparted would give the youth the necessary direction and confidence to become self-reliant.
Neeraj Akhoury, general manager, public affairs, Lafarge, said at least four batches will be trained this year and successful candidates with 100 per cent attendance will be given stipends.
In the social field, the company focussed on health, education and employability and would be a partner in an eye hospital to be launched at Raipur in Chattisgarh by October, he added.
