Don Bosco BEST Academy, a skilling initiative of Bangalore Rural Educational and Development Society (Don Bosco BREADS) since 2016, offers free three-month skilling and job placements for young people who are school dropouts, economically disadvantaged, and migrant youth from rural areas. The academy focuses on three domains – Hospitality management, Retail management, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). Trainees engage in hands-on, industry-focused training in a supportive and nurturing environment under the supervision of the Don Bosco team. Their holistic development is facilitated through life skills and personality enhancement, strengthening of communication skills, and other extracurricular activities. The trainees receive free, nutritious lunch daily. They learn basic computer skills and Tally accounting software.
Minister George stressed the need for skilling in his address, as India is a young country. Every person cannot be employed in white-collar jobs. We need all kinds of skills. In this context, institutions like Don Bosco, who work tirelessly to uplift young people without the advantages of the rich, perform excellent service. He especially admired and appreciated that Don Bosco was doing such excellent work in his constituency and the State of Karnataka.
Minister George honoured Job Francis, a successful trainee, who shared his experience in DB BEST, "For a broke man whose life had come to a full stop at age twenty-six, the fact that the course is free and has placement assistance was significant. The three-month course pushed me to try new things, face new people, and break my ego, finally resulting in me growing myself. Currently, I am the Manager of a restobar and when I look back, I would call DB BEST my home, and those people, my family."
Fr Fabio Attard, an extraordinary visitor to the Province of Bangalore, appreciated the trainees of DB BEST Academy and shared that Don Bosco graduates were similarly appreciated worldwide. He recalled his experiences of how corporates like Schneider highly appreciated Don Bosco graduates and trainees, saying that they were identifiable by their etiquette and positive spirit in the workplace.
The BEST Story released an impact assessment report about DB BEST Academy. The survey of all the trained students highlighted a 92.4% satisfaction rate and a unanimous appreciation of the positive impact of Don BEST in their personal and professional lives. DB BEST trainees are employed by well-known brands and organizations, which confirms the academy's training standards. Fostering a consistent employment rate of 79.2% among 1616 young men and women, DB BEST Academy contributes positively towards the socio-economic upliftment of marginalized sections in society through personal development and financial independence. Even offering limited hostel facilities, DB BEST Academy welcomes more youth who need skilling to join its courses and make their best lives possible.
The dignitaries appreciated the outstanding service that DB BEST is rendering to the disadvantaged youth and applauded BREADS and its team for moving this mission forward in a professional and results-oriented manner.
A documentary video titled 'Winds of Hope' was released. Old and new students had yet another opportunity to mingle, share their experiences, and continue their mission.
DB BEST partners with the Don Bosco Tech Society (DB Tech) and corporate partners in knowledge and resource sharing.
Source: Don Bosco South Asia
