Gadchiroli: Shilpa Madavi, 22, had never sat behind the wheel of a car. But inside an imported multi-crore driving simulator at a skill development centre in Gadchiroli, she is now learning to drive a heavy trailer — a job she hopes will soon take her into the district’s rapidly expanding industrial workforce.Hailing from a small village in Gadchiroli, Madavi is among a growing number of young women who are stepping beyond the traditional boundaries of employment in the former red corridor. She is receiving free residential training, food and accommodation, along with a monthly stipend of 5,000. More importantly, a job awaits her after she completes the training.The transformation is increasingly visible in industrial areas like Konsari, and other rapidly developing sites, where women can be seen working as drivers and welders, undertaking civil work, repairing vehicles and taking up other jobs that were traditionally considered the domain of men.For women who had rarely, or in some cases, never, travelled beyond their villages, the journey from village homes to industrial workplaces is as much a social change as an employment opportunity.A major push behind this transition is coming from the skill development centre established by Lloyds Metals & Energy Ltd, an initiative conceived by the company’s MD B Prabhakaran. The centre has trained more than 1,000 students in industry-oriented skills and is now preparing another batch of 720 trainees, all women, who will get trained by October.One of the centre’s most striking features is its heavy-vehicle and other driving training. Women who had never driven even a car are being introduced to complexities of operating large trailers through advanced, multi-crore driving simulators. The technology allows trainees to experience different driving conditions and develop basic skills and confidence required to handle heavy vehicles before moving to practical training. Similarly, they are also provided with licenses, as the centre is also an authorised establishment.The training is provided free of cost and includes accommodation, food and a stipend of 5,000, removing some of the biggest barriers that often prevent young women from rural and tribal communities from pursuing skilled employment.The centre’s model is also closely linked to employment. Trainees completing courses are absorbed into the company, providing them with a direct pathway from training to a job. The approach is expected to become more significant as new industries establish operations in Gadchiroli.
