Ashok Leyland, the second largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in India, has inducted the first batch of 135 youth who successfully completed the four-year Diploma in Manufacturing Engineering Program, in partnership with technical training institute NTTF into its workforce as full-time employees.

Launched in 2010, the ‘Ashirwad Yojana’ selects deserving 12th pass children from economically weak and remote and hilly areas of Uttarakhand, and offers them classroom training and on-the-job training on the latest machines, personality development, grooming and English language classes, and also introduces them to a corporate culture. 

The facilities made available to these children include a state-of-the-art technical learning center with sophisticated equipment and a fully functional girls hostel with all amenities. All participants of the Ashirwad Yojana initiative have battled tremendous personal odds to emerge as successful graduates and diploma-holders.

Presiding over the event, the labour minister of Uttarakhand, H C Durgapal said: “It is commendable that Ashok Leyland is helping create employment opportunities for the youth of Uttarakhand. It gives me great pleasure and pride to wish all the current and future graduating children the very best." 

Speaking on the occasion, Vinod K Dasari, managing director, Ashok Leyland, said, “In 2010, Ashok Leyland laid the foundations of our modern, fully-integrated manufacturing plant in Uttarakhand. The same year we envisioned an empowered Uttarakhand that produces skilled talent that will go on to become an asset to the state and to the country. Ashirwad Yojana is a unique program under which Ashok Leyland offers an intensive four-year training program to unemployed boys and girls from Uttarakhand, turning them into skilled and confident talent. These 12th pass young people are now ready to participate in the industrial development of the state of Uttarakhand and the country at large. We are very proud to have them join the Ashok Leyland family."