Don Bosco Mondo – Advanced Training for the Automotive Sector under "Skill India"

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Don Bosco Mondo and Mercedes-Benz have jointly set up a training centre.
iMOVE interview with Kathrin Drews, Consultant Corporate Cooperation, Don Bosco Mondo, November 2016.

iMOVE: What is the name and background of your organisation?

Drews: Don Bosco Mondo is a non-profit organisation (NPO) committed to supporting disadvantaged youth worldwide. As their advocate, the NPO mobilises personnel, spiritual and financial resources, and it also aims at spreading and increasing the enthusiasm for their joint efforts. Don Bosco Mondo sees school education and especially vocational training as the key to empowering young people to live independent lives free from poverty. In close partnership with the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, assistance is provided to more than 15 million children and adolescents beyond all limits.

iMOVE: Please tell us something about your activities in India so far.

Drews: In 2009, Don Bosco Mondo and the German company Grohe AG, the world's leading supplier of sanitary taps, founded the training centre Grohe Jal Academy in Mumbai-Kurla. So far, the innovative cooperation has helped more than 800 young people to successfully complete their training and find a job. 'Jal' is the Sanskrit word for water - and it means 'life' for these young people, too. In 2015, the cooperation was scaled-up and the Jal Academy turned into Grohe Dual Tech. The second training centre was opened in Manila, and the third one in Delhi in March, 2016.

Don Bosco Mondo guarantees a lasting and effective collaboration based on its longstanding experience, state-recognised qualifications, local networks and existing infrastructure. Grohe AG provides the equipment, expert know-how and funding for the training courses in the fields of water management, installation and wastewater treatment at these training centres. The regional job markets gain well-trained specialists for the installation and maintenance of quality products. Thanks to this cooperation, Don Bosco Mondo can improve the life prospects of the girls and boys from the surrounding slums. The vocational training enables them to earn a decent income and escape poverty and hunger.

Furthermore, Don Bosco Mondo just recently opened the Zwick Roell Academy in Chennai, with the German company Zwick Roell AG, where as of now, twelve young Indians will be trained as testing machine operators yearly. The students are between the age of 17 and 24, coming from Chennai, surrounding areas and villages that are up to one day travel away. Most of them are first generation learners, hoping for a better future with the help of the vocational training at the Don Bosco Tech Campus in Basin Bridge. The Zwick Roell Academy is utilized both as a training centre and as the first Zwick laboratory in India for demonstrations and trainings.
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iMOVE: In what way do you cooperate with Mercedes-Benz?

Drews: This year our partners in India intensified the cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. Hence, in an effort to strengthen the development of advanced technical skill-sets amongst young people who want to pursue a career in the automotive service industry, Mercedes-Benz India inaugurated an 'Advanced Auto Body Repair Training Centre' in association with the Don Bosco ITI in Pune, India.

The Advanced Auto Body Repair course will focus on automotive crash repair and automotive body structure-related repair activities, ensuring that well-trained and highly skilled personnel in these crucial areas of servicing is available. The selected candidates will get an opportunity to hone their technical skills with the help of up-to-date equipment including a Mercedes-Benz C-Class provided by the company. Mercedes-Benz India has spent a total of Rs 2.65 crore on the project.

iMOVE: Why is Mercedes-Benz an important partner for the Salesians of Don Bosco in India?

Drews: The partnership between Mercedes-Benz and the Salesians of Don Bosco is an important milestone towards modernization, practical relevance and flexibility of vocational education and training in Maharashtra. The most important aspect of our cooperations and partnerships is the continuous commitment of the companies. In general, the companies design the syllabus, update the infrastructure for training purposes, offer train-the-trainer courses and also supply advanced technical tools and equipment for the students. Like in the case of Mercedes-Benz, the company and its dealerships across the country can then absorb these young skilled persons directly via campus recruitment.
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Portrait
Kathrin Drews,
Consultant Corporate Cooperation,
Don Bosco Mondo
The Advanced Auto Body Repair Training Centre in Pune-Chinchwad
The first batch of the Zwick Testing machine operators in the newly opened Zwick Roell Academy in Chennai-Basin Bridge.

Contact

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Don Bosco Mondo e. V.
Strässchensweg 3
53113 Bonn
Germany

Phone: +49 228 53965-824

Contact Person:
Kathrin Drews
Consultant Corporate Cooperation
Grohe Dual Tech Shower Solutions installations

 © photos: Don Bosco Mondo in Bonn