UKG, a leading provider of HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions for all people, today announced its latest social impact initiative, The Udaan Centre, in collaboration with Lok Bharti, a leading vocational institution for skilling and reskilling in India. This initiative empowers women in the underserved urban center of Noida, India, with access to a sewing machine operator training course leading to a certification by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), allowing them to have lifelong employability in India’s extensive textile industry.
The Udaan Centre operates six days per week, in two shifts per day, providing 50 students with education and skills training, fully funded by UKG. Led by professionally qualified teachers, the women are taught advanced cloth-making skills which are in high demand for export firms, enabling them to be valued members of the country’s workforce. The project was soft-launched amid the COVID-19 pandemic and recently celebrated the graduation of its first 50 students.
The Udaan Centre aims to change the lives of more than 200 women per year seeking to gain the skills necessary for employment, leading to increased self-reliance, confidence, and purpose. UKG has a strong history of caring for people and advancing the world of work. This initiative speaks directly to the company’s purpose – people – and the charter of the UKG environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program, which aims to grow and support positive impacts through measurable progress and tangible results.
“At UKG, our purpose is people. When people have purpose and pride in what they do, amazing things can happen,” said Claire Lock, vice president, talent business partners, international markets at UKG. “We have an enormous sense of pride to be able to work as a team at UKG, to uplift the communities in which we live and work. As a result, with these new skills and certification, these women can now set forth on a journey with purpose and continue the domino effect of positive change.”
“Udaan is far more than a CSR/ESG initiative, it's a formidable coalition of forces. Together — with U Krewers (UKG employees), the UKG global ESG vision, the government of India’s self-reliance approach, and our local community — we’ve stood united to confront a pressing issue head on,” said Nitin Wadhwa, director of human resources, India at UKG. “Our mission is crystal clear: to empower the women of our region with sustainable livelihoods. Witnessing their life-changing journey fills us with immense joy and we remain steadfastly committed to the communities where we operate. Together, we are laying the foundation for a self-reliant society, and I am deeply honored to be part of this transformative mission."
Expanding the company’s ESG initiatives, UKG India has launched several projects focused on the education and livelihood of people, including Getting Girls to Code (GGC), which provides girls 18 years and above with vocational training in web design and digital marketing, and The UKG ANK Learning Centre, in collaboration with the well-known nonprofit, ANK, providing education to more than 800 underprivileged children to date.
“At UKG, we know that talent is distributed equally, but opportunity is not. Creating equity of opportunity is a driving catalyst behind the amazing social impact efforts of U Krewers around the world,” said Heather Geronemus, senior director, social, equity, opportunity, and impact at UKG. “The Udaan Project and those like it uplift those who are underrepresented and make a real impact in the lives of people to reach their full potential.”
True to the UKG values of united, kind, and growing, UKG India conducts a flagship event, “Month of Giving,” where more than 100 U Krewers volunteer and drive multiple CSR programs that create positive impacts in the community such as providing safe drinking water to school children, blood donations, mentoring young girls, coordinating book drives, and more.
“With UKG, we’ve been able to further help women take charge of their own financial wellbeing and become valuable resources in society, fostering a positive ripple effect of empowerment and economic independence,” said Nitin Seth, CEO at Lok Bharti. “In order to support the country’s rapid growth rate, it is imperative to focus on creating a talented workforce equipped with skills that drive innovation, productivity, and sustainable progress. By training these women, we aim to do just that, thus, empowering them in the process and driving socio-economic progress.”
Supporting Resources
- Learn more about UKG and why our purpose is people.
- Experience inspiration at work. Explore careers at UKG.
- Check out the UKG Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) program and how we are creating change for good via the UKG Global Impact Report.
- Join UKG in making pay equity a priority. Read about the UKG Close the Gap Initiative.
- Hear why UKG customers are Partners for Life.
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About UKG
At UKG, our purpose is people. As strong believers in the power of culture and belonging as the secret to success, we champion great workplaces and build lifelong partnerships with our customers to show what’s possible when businesses invest in their people. One of the world’s leading HCM cloud companies today, UKG and our Life-work Technology approach to HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions for all people helps more than 80,000 organisations around the globe and across every industry anticipate and adapt to their employees’ needs beyond just work. To learn more, visit ukg.in.
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