Samsung India in partnership with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has launched ‘Samsung DOST’ (Digital & Offline Skills Training), a CSR initiative that aims to make 50,000 youth job-ready for the electronics retail sector over the next few years. 

Considering the potential of employment generation post skill training, Samsung has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with NSDC for the ‘Samsung DOST’ program under which youth will receive 200 hours of blended classroom and online training, followed by five months of on-the-job training (OJT) at Samsung retail stores, along with a monthly stipend at par with industry standards. This will help the youth acquire new competencies and skills needed for jobs in India’s fast growing electronics retail environment.

Ken Kang, President & CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia said: “Samsung has been India’s committed partner over the last 25 years, and has contributed to people and communities across India through its citizenship programs. The Samsung DOST program is aligned to the Government of India’s Skill India initiative and is an embodiment of our vision of #PoweringDigitalIndia that seeks to empower the next generation of young India. With this new program, we aim to close the skills and employability gap among youth in the country, helping them find jobs in the fast growing electronics retail sector.”

The youth will be trained at various training centres accredited and approved by NSDC. The training will be in accordance to the National Skill Qualification Framework, which is aligned to industry needs, and will include skillsets such as customer engagement, managing sales counter, handling customer queries, product demonstration & selling skills and several other soft skills, including post-Covid etiquettes, preparing them for a career in electronics retail. During the OJT, participants will be made familiar with the functioning of electronics retail stores through live demonstrations, role play techniques and hands-on training.

The participants for the program will be youth who have completed school education and will be mobilized through NSDC’s approved training partners at 120 centres across India. The assessments and certification of the participants will be done by the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) after the participants complete their OJT.

Samsung has been running the Samsung Technical School program since 2013 in partnership with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Departments of Technical Education in different states. Under this program, youth are provided vocational skills to repair the latest smartphones, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and other electronics.