In 1968, nine Non-Profit Organizations from different parts of the country came together with the objective of promoting quality technical/ vocational skill training for underprivileged youth. This initiative resulted in a nation-wide network called SKILLS FOR PROGRESS or SKIP with 220 member institutions today.
During the 1970s, the focus was on formal technical training. With the industrialization in the country, the status of tertiary skill training grew at a rapid pace and formal training, to a large extent, went out of the reach of the poor youth. During this time, SKIP began offering non-formal skill training for the school dropouts and others who could not get an opportunity to be trained in the formal schools.
Some of the SKIP member institutions have been established more than a hundred years ago.
It was envisaged that youth, mainly from poorer sections of our society, after training in these institutions, would be employed in the upcoming industries. In order to coordinate and enhance their services, some farsighted individuals got together and registered SKILLS FOR PROGRESS (SKIP) under the Mysore Societies Registration Act, 1960(Societies Registration No. S-134/69-70 ) on 18th October 1969.
SKIP in the Past Decades :
SKIP’s emphasis has been on quality training of the poor youth, and SKIP has constantly reminded its members on ‘whom we serve’ apart from ‘why and how’
Convinced that the school dropouts should also be trained in a vocational skill, since 1980, SKIP encouraged its members to reach out to the very poor and dropouts through non-formal skill training. This led some to jobs and others to micro-enterprises. SKIP made special efforts to identify and propagate suitable programs for girls/women.
Since growth has to be inclusive if all round development has to take place, SKIP’s training philosophy became broad-based during the late ’80s from individual based to people based and from institutional centred to apprenticeships.
The focus being development, SKIP advocated training not only on modern technologies, but also on appropriate technologies, and not only to take up jobs, but also to create enterprises.
From the initial 9 founding members of 1969, SKIP’s membership is now 250+ member institutions spread all over the country along with 20 associate members.