Centum Learning

Objective

To provide industry-specific, end-to-end training and skills development programmes that help improve youth business productivity and employability.

Overview and Main Activities

Centum Learning aims to improve business productivity and enhance youth employability – and with over 1,300 learning and development specialists who have domain expertise in 21 industry verticals, it has skilled over one million people. Centum Learning operates out of 469 learning centres in rural and urban locations across 21 countries, including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and 17 countries in Africa.

Centum Learning has successfully partnered with central and state ministries, such as India’s Ministry of Rural Development; various state education boards; the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE); public sector enterprises; and more than 350 corporations such as Delhi Airport, Bharti Airtel, Genpact, National Bank of Kenya, Lafarge Cement and Maruti Suzuki. In India, Centum Learning has set up Centum WorkSkills India in partnership with the NSDC to enhance the skills of 12 million youth across the country. 

Centum Learning skill development solutions encompass four areas:

• Enterprise training
• Vocational education and training
• Skills for schools and colleges
• Skills for global employability  

Training programmes include those for corporates, teachers and school principals, as well as skill development programmes for unemployed youth, among others. The duration of each programme varies according to training participants and the nature of the skills targeted for training. 

Success Factors and Challenges

Most critical success factors:

• Size, scale and scope of operations 
• Alignment of training content with industry requirements
• Large network of qualified and certified skill instructors 
• Large network of placement coordinators and relevant industry linkages 
• Extensive mobilization efforts 

Main challenges:

• Making skills training aspirational 
• Forming industry linkages to ensure candidate placement 
• Mobilizing a large number of students to undertake a training programme
• Understanding students’ diverse aspirations and requirements
• Counselling candidates to take a job though it may require them to relocate 
• Relocation, settlement and post-placement support

Recommendations for Others

Building a successful, scalable business model around skills development requires much more than commitment. Understanding strengths, focusing on differentiators and an ability to scale and fund initiatives for a multi-year time span are critical ingredients. 

Replicability and Scalability

How easily could other organizations implement this initiative?
Difficult: Skills development requires passion, commitment and vision. Any missing piece will not allow organizations the scale required to be sustainable.  

How easily can this initiative be expanded to include a larger number of participants?
Difficult: It is easy to expand when there are enough available jobs available for the skilled workforce and when skilled jobs command a premium from the unskilled workforce. 

About the Organization

Website: www.centumlearning.com
Sector: Telecommunications
Size (number of employees): 1,000 – 5,000
Headquarters: New Delhi, India

For Further Engagement

Contact name: Thomas Matthew
Contact position: Head, Corporate Planning Group  
Email: [email protected]