Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business?
Meghna Joshi : The collective experience of working in both the corporate and social sectors, along with managing operations at various skill development centers, has given me a profound understanding of the challenges faced by communities from economically weaker backgrounds. This journey has also provided me with valuable insights into the issues prevalent in the unorganized sector.
In an effort to address these issues systematically, I developed a passion for skill
development, which ultimately led to the creation of SWAN (Skilled Workforce Advancing
Nation) Livelihood. For myself, my co-founder, and our staff, the primary inspiration comes
from witnessing the smiles of the community members we support. Every day, we strive to
enhance the quality of the workforce through innovative training programs and workshop
sessions.
Since our inception, and even during lockdowns, we have not only maintained but expanded our operations to include online training workshops. This adaptation has allowed us to continue empowering communities and providing sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Great Companies: What are the various services provided by SWAN (Skilled
Workforce Advancing Nation) Livelihood?
Meghna Joshi: We specialize in providing the following services:
i.) Community Development Programs: We implement community development programs
aimed at empowering individuals and providing sustainable livelihood opportunities.
ii.) Capacity Building: We curate programs that offer hand-holding support for program
implementation to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and grassroots organizations.
iii.) Specialized Workshops: Our experiential training workshops and upskilling programs
help individuals realize their full potential by enhancing their cognitive capacities and
improving their skill sets.
In addition to these core services, we actively partner with various college societies to run
programs focused on social entrepreneurship and sustainability, encouraging youth to become future changemakers.
Great Companies: What makes SWAN (Skilled Workforce Advancing Nation)
Livelihood different from hundreds of other similar service providers?
Meghna Joshi : We believe in creating a greater impact at the community level, which is why all our programs are customized based on the specific needs of our target audience,
geography, and socio-cultural context. Before launching any program, we conduct a thorough needs assessment to ensure that our training programs and workshop sessions are tailored to the prevailing conditions. This approach allows us to avoid directly replicating or digitizing content, whether in offline or online modes, and ensures maximum impact and relevance for the communities we serve.
Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
Meghna Joshi : Setting up the venture proved to be a challenging task. Putting together a
team, reaching out, convincing, and branding the act all appeared to be easier on paper.
Natural occurrences over which we had no control began shortly after the first month of
getting our act together. When we began in January 2020, the extreme cold, incessant rains, and widespread protests in the city were enough to test our patience. The spread of
the COVID-19 pandemic and the complete lock down exacerbated the situation. These
difficult times also taught us the importance of patience and staying focused on our goals.
Sustained and dedicated efforts, as well as the support of family, mentors, and peers, made
the journey to our goals a breeze. We were able to carve out a niche in the minds of the
surrounding communities and were repeatedly reminded of the real and significant lack of
avenues and mentorship support in communities, as well as the challenges associated with the technical divide that still exists in an urban – rural setup.
Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for SWAN (Skilled Workforce Advancing Nation) Livelihood?
Meghna Joshi : Since our inception, we’ve expanded to include both classroom and virtual
training sessions. Looking ahead, we intend to expand into e-learning to reach a larger
number of people with skill-based learning, as well as begin our in-class, community
development sessions in the areas of skill development, education, and women
empowerment. Future projections appear brighter as skill development gains traction, as
evidenced by the SDGs-2030 (Sustainable Development Goals), which advocate for
technical, vocational education and training (TVET), decent work opportunities and
assistance to young adults. Making our programmes tech inclusive to reach out to a wider
audience is in the goal list.
Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
Meghna Joshi : Believing in your abilities and in yourself will get you a long way.
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