MAST

Market Aligned Skills Training

AIF’s flagship livelihoods program, Market Aligned Skills Training (MAST), leverages technology to equip underprivileged youth, marginalized rural women, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and nano-entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills, and financial and market linkages they need to find employment, run businesses, launch micro-enterprises, and earn a dignified living.

Since it began in 2005, MAST has paved the way for the Ability Based Livelihood Empowerment (ABLE) program, which aims to create more opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in the job market.

Why MAST

Set to be world’s most populous country by 2025, India is primed to reap a “demographic dividend” from its young population. Yet millions of young people come to cities from disadvantaged backgrounds with little to no prior education and lack the basic skills to obtain gainful employment. At the same time, the parallel expansion of India’s high-growth industries requires increased workforce participation from women - currently only at 33% in comparison to 67% men in 2022 (Source: Statista)– resulting in a fundamental imbalance in the labor market. Skills development, dignified employment, and enterprise management, especially for street vendors and nano entrepreneurs hold the key to India’s ability to activate the vast potential of its population and to evolve as the hub of the global economy.

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How MAST works

MAST is creating a workforce of skilled professionals; empowering rural women to build their social identity and financial capital, and also enabling street vendors and other nano-enterprises, to resurrect their livelihoods in a post-pandemic era through:

Market scans that enable creation of job opportunities as well as micro-enterprises and MAST works with key ecosystem players to create a viable and sustainable livelihoods model for the communities. The program also works closely with employers to develop the market-aligned training curricula to create a workforce of skilled youth to meet the growing demands of diversified local industries.

Catalyzing a technology-enabled, inclusive, and adaptive skilling ecosystem, aims to sustain jobs, and remote job creation, linking the targeted beneficiaries with aspirational jobs in technology, banking, and travel; facilitating their transition, and acclimatizing them to the newly acquired remote jobs through the innovative Remote Employment (REMO) Centers.

Creation of an ecosystem to identify systemic gaps in enterprise creation for women, build their entrepreneurial capabilities, provide linkages with FinTechs and build market linkages to create a unique logistics network where opportunities are being sourced from all over the country and all over the globe.

Empowering street vendors through project Entre-Prerana by facilitating formal registration, access to low-cost capital through banks, and linkages to new markets and e-commerce platforms. The project also utilizes an innovative AI-enabled underwriting and loan disbursal platform that provides loans through a real-time process and removes barriers like long duration of loan approvals, and default in loan repayment.

Creating a workforce skilled in sectors such as renewable energy, environment, climate change, sustainable development, and waste management to accelerate India's transition from a carbon-intensive economy to a greener economy, improve social equity, and raise the standard of living.

The MAST Cumulative Impact

123,519
Jobs created for disadvantaged youth across Retail, IT, Geriatric Care, Electrical, Automotive, and Other Industries
340,259
Disadvantaged youth trained in market-relevant skills
306
Skilling centers established
868,501
Street vendors and nano-entrepreneurs empowered through Entre-Prerana
384,988
Loans disbursed

Our Reach

20 States and Union Territories

*As of 3/31

Our Contributors

Adobe

AIF’s project with Adobe aims to eliminate undernutrition and significantly enhance early childhood education outcomes amongst children under-6 yrs in Gyaraspur block of aspirational district of Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh.

Key Outcomes

1. 90% reduction in prevalence of wasting and underweight amongst children under-6 yrs and improved nutrition practices amongst communities.

2. 90% children (in 4 to under-6) become school ready and successfully transition to primary Schools.

3. Adoption of the integrated model (or specific components) of health, nutrition, education and livelihoods by governments or other institutions for implementation at scale.

Bank of America

AIF’s Livelihood Project, Entre-Prerana - an intervention at the confluence of digital, financial, and market linkages, is designed to revive the livelihoods of 1 million street vendors across India. Supported by Bank of America, Entre-Prerana is being implemented across Delhi, Jaipur, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana. Utilizing an engaging and innovative AI-enabled underwriting and loan disbursal platform, AIF’s Entre-Prerana is empowering street vendors to revive their livelihoods in the post-pandemic era. The Project is transforming the lives of street vendors by mainstreaming their businesses through formal registration, providing access to low-cost capital through banks, and linkages to new markets and e-commerce platforms. Engage to Empower is a long-term career support intervention focused on upgrading, upskilling, and facilitating dignified job opportunities that aim to rebuild the lives of women, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), and youth from marginalized communities, disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Through the intervention, AIF’s Market Aligned Skills Training (MAST) Program in partnership with Bank of America, is facilitating co-learning and knowledge sharing for focused self-development and career planning with post-placement support for 3.5 years. Designed to deliver volunteer training and mentoring by the Bank of America employees in Full Stack Development, Data Analytics, Banking, Financial Services, Insurance (BFSI), and other upcoming sectors, it aims to nurture professional development, workplace readiness, and cultural transition for the identified vulnerable groups.

BlackRock

Engage to Empower is a long-term career support intervention focused on upgrading, upskilling, and facilitating dignified job opportunities that aim to rebuild the lives of women, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), and youth from marginalized communities, disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Through the intervention, AIF’s Market Aligned Skills Training (MAST) Program in partnership with BlackRock, is facilitating co-learning and knowledge sharing for focused self-development and career planning with post-placement support for 3.5 years. Designed to deliver volunteer training and mentoring by BlackRock employees in Full Stack Development, Data Analytics, Banking, Financial Services, Insurance (BFSI), and other upcoming sectors, it aims to nurture professional development, workplace readiness, and cultural transition for the identified vulnerable groups.

Dell Technologies

American India Foundation in Partnership with Dell Technologies is implementing a Future Workspace Skills project that aims to build workforce readiness in college-going girls and persons with disabilities. The Project, designed to catalyze a technology-enabled, inclusive, and adaptive skilling ecosystem, aims to sustain remote job creation, linking the targeted beneficiaries with aspirational jobs in technology, banking, and travel; facilitating their transition, and acclimatizing them to the newly acquired remote jobs through the innovative Remote Employment (REMO) Centers. The training curriculum, certified by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and DELL Tech., offers an exclusive curriculum created by subject experts and industry mentors on subjects such as communication skills, life skills, corporate grooming and etiquette, MS Office, workplace readiness, resume writing, and interview preparedness through a cutting-edge technology enabled Learning Management System (LMS).

EXL Service.com (I) Pvt. Ltd

Since 2016, AIF in partnership with EXL, through the Livelihoods Skills Development Project - Prashast (प्रशस्त: Expansive, all-embracing), has been successfully leveraging an industry-aligned training curriculum on Data Analytics, and Business Process Management, to nurture the vast potential of underprivileged youth and women, trained to meet the growing demands of diversified local industries.

Franklin Templeton

Aimed at creating an independent cadre of trained caregivers, Geriatric Care Aide project supported by Franklin Templeton is meeting the growing demands of the country’s healthcare system to bridge the gap between caregivers and the elderly population. Aimed at creating an independent cadre of trained caregivers, Geriatric Care Aide project supported by Franklin Templeton has so far trained more than 240 youths from marginalized communities, providing them access to sustainable livelihoods. The project was also conferred with the Gold Award for its outstanding performance in the Health Skilling Brand Category at the IHW awards 2020. Geriatric Care Aide is being implemented by AIF under its flagship Market Aligned Skills Training (MAST) Program that works to provide unemployed youth with comprehensive skills training to address India’s growing need for skilled manpower.

HDFC Bank Ltd

AIF in partnership with HDFC Bank Ltd is supporting 5 junior Colleges with Skilling courses training. The Skilling intervention begins by equipping 5 Junior colleges with 10 computer centers, providing a Computer laboratory to enhance student learning that reaches approximately 200 students across 5 Junior colleges. A well-rounded curriculum on Business Process Management, Graphics and print Design & Life Skills and English communication equips the beneficiaries with technical skills in Microsoft office- Word, Excel & Powerpoint.

Hindustan Unilever Limited

Supported by Hindustan Unilever Limited, AIF is implementing the project "Prabhat Livelihood Center" across Etah, Sumerpur in Uttar Pradesh, and Haridwar in Uttarakhand. The project is actively bridging the gap between vocational education and industry needs by developing life skills of women, linking them with dignified jobs and self-employment opportunities, and improving their self-confidence. Implemented under AIF’s flagship Livelihoods Program-Market Aligned Skills Training Program, the Project has transformed the lives of 2,369 women and youth from the marginalized and economically weaker section of the society. The goal of the project is to Influence the skilling and employment ecosystem for inclusion and empowerment of youth from the marginalized and economically weaker section of the society.

Jay Chaudhry

The Project with Jay Chaudhry Grant aims to work with street vendors in 8 locations (Jaipur, Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Patna, Kanpur, Ajmer, Ahmedabad) in 6 different states (Rajasthan, Delhi, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujratl) AIF’s Livelihood Project, Entre-Prerana - an intervention at the confluence of digital, financial, and market linkages, is designed to revive the livelihoods of 1 million street vendors across India. With the support of Jay Chaudhry, Entre-Prerana is being implemented across8 locations Rajasthan, Delhi, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujrat. Utilizing an engaging and innovative AI-enabled underwriting and loan disbursal platform, AIF’s Entre-Prerana is empowering street vendors to revive their livelihoods in the post-pandemic era. The Project is transforming the lives of street vendors by mainstreaming their businesses through formal registration, providing access to low-cost capital through banks, and linkages to new markets and e-commerce platforms.

MacArthur Foundation (Street Vendor Project)

Oak Foundation

The Big Bets Collaborative (BBC) is a consortium of organizations, namely, American India Foundation (AIF), Centre for Education and Communication (CEC), Mulberry, Grassroots Tea Corporation (GTC), SELCO, Start Up!, Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF, The GOAT Trust and SwitchON Foundation, is an initiative with the Oak Foundation. These organizations have come together to work towards strengthening the ecosystem for Rural Women Entrepreneurs (RWEs). The BBC is one such platform that will design, implement, and establish enabling eco-systems and solutions for RWEs, such that they collectively lead value chains that are inclusive and committed to low-carbon economic prosperity. By doing so, BBC will seek to, a) demonstrate models of gender-inclusive entrepreneurship, b) make a business case for how entrepreneurship can be a vehicle of gender empowerment and c) showcase how rural women business leaders can take society forward as part of their business success.

Sarva Mangal Family Trust supported by MSI

AIF’s Center of Excellence, located at the Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Rewari, is paving the way for youth, women, and persons with disabilities from marginalized communities to access skilling, upskilling, and mentoring, along with placement and employment opportunities in the sectors of IT, electricals and electronics, logistics, data entry, and data management. Through the Center of Excellence, AIF, in partnership with government ITI, Rewari and with the support of Sarva Mangal Family Trust (MSI), over a course of three years, aims to train 1,200 beneficiaries and link 1,125 with sustainable livelihoods and also enable 75 entrepreneurs to set up their own businesses. AIF’s Livelihood Project, Entre-Prerana - an intervention at the confluence of digital, financial, and market linkages, is designed to revive the livelihoods of 1 million street vendors across India. Supported by Sarva Mangal Family Trust (MSI), Entre-Prerana is being implemented across Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka. Utilizing an engaging and innovative AI-enabled underwriting and loan disbursal platform, AIF’s Entre-Prerana is empowering street vendors to revive their livelihoods in the post-pandemic era. The Project is transforming the lives of street vendors by mainstreaming their businesses through formal registration, providing access to low-cost capital through banks, and linkages to new markets and e-commerce platforms.

Shahnaz Taplin Women’s Empowerment Fund

Technologically enabling Rural Women to grow as future entrepreneurs, AIF, in partnership with the State Rural Livelihood Mission, Government of Madhya Pradesh (MP-SRLM), aims to bring a special focus on upskilling and transitioning of Self-Help-Groups (SHGs) into Rural Women Enterprises and Start-ups. The Project will work at an ecosystem level to identify systemic gaps in enterprise creation for women, build their entrepreneurial capabilities, provide linkages with FinTechs and build market linkages to create a unique logistics network where opportunities are being sourced from all over the country and all over the globe. Establishing a state-of-the-art Center of Excellence, AIF will also empower rural women by equipping the existing SHGs with business management training on upscaling, building sustainability, financial literacy, and tech-empowered innovations. The Project, supported by Shahnaz Taplin Women’s Empowerment Fund, will be implemented under AIF’s flagship livelihoods program Market Aligned Skills Training (MAST). Ownership of a micro-enterprise will give a multitude of rural women a platform to build their social identity and financial capital. With the right infusion of tools, resources, and support, women micro-entrepreneurs will play a significant role in job creation, flipping the gender indices, and boosting the economy. The intervention aims to impact an ambitious 460,000+ SHGs in the long run.

Tasty Bite Foundation

Resurrecting the lives and livelihoods upended by the pandemic, AIF's Sustainable Integrated Rural Development Project under the Livelihoods Program is focusing on the digital empowerment of women in remote rural areas, through a comprehensive, 5-module based Computer Course. Within 3-months, covering topics ranging from introduction to computers, internet research, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power-Point Presentations, the Project empowers candidates with no previous technical knowledge of computers, to handle complex tasks of data entry, data validation, report preparation, while also equipping them in financial literacy and communications skills. The Project, supported by the Tasty Bite Foundation and implemented under AIF’s flagship program Market Aligned Skills Training (MAST), aims to empower 500 women with dignified livelihoods over a period of 2 years.

Vandana and Vivek Sharma Family Foundation

Supported by Vandana and Vivek Sharma Family Foundation, AIF’s Livelihoods intervention aims to

Train women in the skills of pattern making using the MasterG Breaking Pattern Curriculum.

To help women learn industry-standard requirements and updated techniques.

Generate sustainable livelihood opportunities by connecting them to fashion brands and facilitating other market linkages.

Our Partners

New Association of Street Vendors of India

The National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) registered as New Association of Street Vendors of India in 2003 under the Societies registration Act of 1860 in Patna, Bihar. NASVI works to bring together the street vendor organizations in India so as to collectively struggle for macro-level changes which had become imminent to support the livelihood of around 10 million vendors. NASVI works for creating a supportive environment for the street vendors to carry out their legitimate vending.

Sparsha Trust

Sparsha Trust is a non-profit voluntary organization registered in 2005 with the vision to enhance the quality and responsiveness of the educational experience for all children regardless of their home backgrounds, so that they learn with fullness and actualize their potential as active and empowered members of the contemporary world. For the year 2022-25 AIF will be doing the training and livelihoods of 2500 beneficiaries in association with SPARSHA Trust.

News And Updates

DEC 18, 2024

Empowering Women, Transforming Communities: How AIF Livelihood Programs in India Are Shaping Futures

In India, where stigma and age-old gender norms can limit women’s opportunities for financial independence, AIF’s livelihood programs are shifting the status quo, rewriting journeys into stories of empowerment. AIF’s work is not only enabling these women to lead lives on their own terms, but is also changing perceptions around women’s roles at the familial and community levels.

APR 14, 2023

Future of Livelihoods – AIF’s Annual Livelihoods Knowledge Event unpacks the Role of CSR in Building Women’s Livelihoods

New Delhi, March 16, 2023 : The American India Foundation, catalyzing social and economic change in India for the past 22 years, organized the annual Livelihoods knowledge event ‘Future of Livelihoods’ at Silver Oak, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi today. Starting with the Keynote address by the Chief Guest Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, Government of India, the event addressed emerging gaps in women’s labor force participation, the inclusion of women with disability in the workforce, and the far-reaching impact of climate change on their livelihoods in the next decade.

Media

Awards and Recognition

Livelihood Project - 'Entre-Prerana' won TheCSRUniverse Social Impact Awards 2022 in the Livelihood Category. 'Entre-Prerana' - intervention at the confluence of digital, financial, and market linkages to revive the livelihoods of 1 million street vendors, as key interventions, creating significant social impact in the society. Utilizing an engaging and innovative AI-enabled underwriting and loan disbursal platform, Entre-Prerana is empowering street vendors to revive their livelihoods in the post-pandemic era. The project has impacted close to 100,000 street vendors across 25 cities of the country.