Ramesh Swamy | The Entrepreneurs of India February 2025 Magazine Edition #17

In a country where millions of young people grapple with the harsh realities of poverty and where aspirations are often crushed by financial constraints and unequal access to opportunities, the SGBS Unnati Foundation has emerged as a powerful catalyst for change. Founded in 2011, this transformative initiative has redefined the fight against poverty by empowering hundreds of thousands with the skills to shape their own futures rather than depend on charity. Through vocational training, life skills development, and career counseling, the foundation has not only created economic opportunities but has also instilled self-belief, confidence, the courage to dream, and a renewed sense of dignity among thousands of youths from low-income families. What began as a small initiative to fund education soon evolved into a larger movement. It became evident that providing scholarships alone was insufficient—many students continued to drop out, not just due to financial constraints but because of the pressing need to earn a livelihood. This cycle led to persistent unemployment and uncertainty.

To address this challenge, Unnati launched the UNXT program, aimed at supporting final-year government college students, particularly in rural areas, by equipping them with employability skills and ensuring a smoother transition into the workforce.

Unnati, a pioneering organization focused on transforming the future of youth, launched the UNXT program with a vision to enable final-year government college students, especially in rural areas, to become employable. Many youths, particularly those from rural backgrounds, face significant barriers to securing jobs.

The initiative aims to equip final-year students with essential skills such as communication, problem-solving, work readiness, and confidence, helping them become self-reliant. While education is often provided, a large majority of youth, even those with degrees, are not employable due to skill gaps. The UNXT program seeks to bridge this gap by offering a comprehensive 200-hour intervention.

The intervention consists of 90 hours of in-class training, followed by 110 hours of blended learning via the Uleap app. The app contains 600 videos and 120 questions per day, ensuring that students can continue learning at their own pace, making the program accessible to all.

This initiative is open to final-year students from various academic streams such as BA, BCom, ITI, Polytechnic, and more. The program is conducted over 30 working days, with three-hour sessions held daily. Two batches are conducted each day, with each batch comprising 30 students.

Since its inception, the UNXT program has made significant strides in empowering youth. Over the last two financial years, the program has trained over one lakh youth annually. In the upcoming financial year (2025-2026), the target is to reach two lakh youth across the country. This program is offered free of cost to government college students. The funding comes from various companies through their CSR budgets, and the cost per student is just ₹1500.

The impact of the program has been substantial. More than 81% of the youth trained belong to SC, ST, and OBC categories.

The UNXT program is currently present in 12 states, helping youth improve their employability by focusing on various aspects of professional development. These include spoken English, communication skills, life values, interview preparation, and understanding one’s strengths through psychometric analysis via the SWAYAM platform.

Udhyogam, a job portal for freshers, is available to assist students in finding job opportunities. The portal offers employers access to student resumes and video resumes, along with location-based job matching using pin codes. Students are encouraged to reach out to Unnati for job placements, while others are also supported through the Udhyogam job portal.

Unnati’s expansion plan to take the UNXT program to more states and help more students in government colleges depends on the number of sponsors joining hands with the foundation. At just ₹1500 per student, this program is one of the most cost-effective skill development initiatives in the country. While the UNXT program has made a positive impact, several challenges remain. One of the primary hurdles is finding qualified trainers in rural areas, where access to skilled professionals is limited. Other challenges include parental resistance to sending youth for training, limited job opportunities in rural regions, and transportation issues that hinder access to training centers.

Additionally, to scale from two lakh to five lakh youth, Unnati requires significant funding—approximately ₹75 crores per year—to sustain and expand its reach.

Unnati’s UNXT program is not just about education; it’s about empowering youth with the skills, confidence, and resources they need to succeed in the workforce and break free from the cycle of unemployment. Through its holistic approach and affordable pricing, the program is transforming the lives of thousands of young individuals across the country, creating a brighter future for all.