What is SSNP?

What does SSNP do?

Who are benefited by SSNP?

Who is eligible to received SSNP services?

Is training of any use to VRS employees?

Is retraining compulsory?

Does SSNP provide any jobs to VRS employees

Does SSNP provide any loan or financial grant for self employment?

Does SSNP help job displaced persons to find alternative livelihoods without retraining?

What kind of training does SSNP provide?

Who decides training programme?

Who provides training?

How training programmes are designed?

What is the duration of training?

What do trainees get in addition to skill upgradation?

Do trainees get any stipend for undergoing any training?

Who meets the cost of training?

Where the training is organized?

Does SSNP provide training to children of VRS employees?

How could VRS employees help SSNP?

What is SSNP ?  SSNP is the future beyond VRS. It aims at capacity building of job displaced employees so as to be relevant in the changing labour market. Social Safety Net Programme (SSNP) is a means of empowering the public sector employees who have been affected by the enterprise reform. SSNP is the expression of government concern for human resource development and reintegration of the job displaced labor through improved skills in the changing job market.   It is an important component of enterprise reform programme in Andhra Pradesh. It works with employees who have been affected by job displacement as a consequence of closure or restructuring of state level enterprises. It works to mitigate the trauma of employees rendered jobless.   SSNP is an important wing of the Implementation Secretariat which is an autonomous body created by the Govt. for implementing Public Enterprise Reforms in Andhra Pradesh. SSNP has been established in March 1999. It is a special body to work with the employees of public enterprises in strengthening their efforts at finding alternative jobs or livelihoods through retraining and redeployment related services. It is being funded by DFID as part of AP Economic Restructuring Programme. Top    What does SSNP do ? Major activities/ services of SSNP include the following   Services   Counselling for alternative jobs Counselling for skill upgradation or acquiring new skills, which could improve one's chances for alternative employment Free vocational training (skill upgradation/ acquiring new skills) Limited follow up services for redeployment Orientation and guidance for taking self-employment ventures   Activities   Survey/ database in regard to the status of VRS employees Building understanding among all concerned sections of the society in regard to the problem of job affected sections Studies on job opportunities/ alternative livelihoods for job displaced sections (labor market studies) Networking with a variety of agencies, both governmental and non governmental, engaged in the areas of retraining, counseling, self employment etc   SSNP aims at mitigating the trauma of job loss. It includes job severance compensation in the form of monetary assistance to job displaced persons and non monetary assistance in terms of skill upgradation and or assistance in taking up small business/ self employment ventures.   SSNP strengthens the efforts of employees who have taken VRS or have been retrenched in state level public enterprises to find alternative livelihoods. Towards facilitating alternative livelihoods, it provides counselling and retraining services to the VRS/ retrenched employees so as to be effective in finding a job again in the open market or to take up a small venture for self-employment.   It identifies jobs in demand in a particular area and provides free retraining in such areas for the VRS/ retrenched employees. Besides, SSNP provides limited follow up services for redeployment in the form of new jobs or self-employment ventures. It helps in building access to financial institutions and subject experts for those who are interested in starting self-employment ventures. SSNP enlists the support of skill promotion agencies, placement agencies, trade unions, employers and development agencies to address the problem of VRS/ retrenched employees. It sensitizes and seeks contribution of concerned forces of the civil society and the policy makers in reducing the trauma of those affected by job losses.    Top Who are benefited by SSNP? SSNP provides services to job displaced persons of state level public enterprises. So far job displaced employees of eleven public enterprises have been provided counseling, retraining and limited follow up services for redeployment. Around 4700 VRS employees across the state are in contact with the SSNP. These VRS employees are actively associated with SSNP team in designing strategies for improving their chances for alternative jobs or self-employment. Top      Who is eligible to recieved SSNP services ? The following individuals are eligible to seek services of SSNP  VRS/ retrenched employees of identified AP Public Sector Enterprises* Dependents (child or spouse) of old/ sick or deceased VRS employee  *(list of AP Public Sector Enterprises receiving SSNP services is enclosed in Annexure).   You could enquire with SSNP whether VRS employees of your enterprise could avail SSNP services. Top     Is training of any use to VRS employees ? Yes. It is an essential asset of any person. It improves the human capital. Skill is the visa to job and having right skills in the constantly changing labor market is a must. Earlier technology, skills and forms of organization are giving way to new ones. Upgrading one's skill or learning new skills is vital for becoming relevant in the changing labor market.  Retraining is vital for redeployment and SSNP assists in improving this human capital of job displaced persons. Acquiring relevant skills or upgrading the existing skills is the key to success of many job displaced employees. SSNP assists in identifying skills of demand in the changing labor market and provides free vocational training. Several job displaced employees of public enterprises have been successful in getting redeployed in the form of either a new job or self employment. SSNP has assisted many of them in finding redeployment. Several job displaced employees have been successful in self employment. They are now owners of small shops/ manufacturing units/ service centers in a variety of fields. Top    Is retraining compulsory ? No. But it helps you to improve your chances finding a new job. It helps you to compete with those who have the skills in demand in the labour market. You would be having an edge over others in getting the jobs that are scarce.   Top     Does SSNP provide any jobs to VRS employees ? SSNP does not provide any jobs. However, it helps the efforts of job displaced persons in finding alternative jobs through skill upgradation or new skills and follow up services. Top    Does SSNP provide any loan or financial grant for self-employment ? SSNP does not provide any financial assistance directly. SSNP is essentially a non-financial assistance centre. However, it provides financial support to VRS employees for their retraining and related expenses. Top    Does SSNP help job displaced persons to find alternative livelihoods without retraining? Yes. Some VRS employees have not received any retraining from SSNP. But they have been assisted in finding alternative jobs on the basis of their existing skills. Some have been assisted in starting self-employment programmes in areas of their choice with limited capital they have. Top   What kind of training does SSNP provide? Any training that would improve your chances of getting a job in the labor market. SSNP provides training to VRS employees in varied areas. SSNP is providing training programmes in the areas of computer skills/ understanding, technical areas, and traditional or new services. These training programmes are in the areas of manufacturing, service, trading, etc. It could be CNC milling & turning, AC refrigeration, motor rewinding, computer skills, driving, tractor mechanism, photography, garment manufacturing, hotel management, pre primary teacher training, beautician, and any other skill in demand in the market. A broad list of training programmes being in vogue is enclosed, which is illustrative. (see Annexure) Top     Who decides training programme? You. Training programmes are based on your choice. What you think could help improve present efforts for a job/ self-employment is going to be the area of retraining for you. SSNP guides in you in making such choices or informs why certain choices are not very productive based on the database it has on local demand for skills. SSNP does not thrust its preferences. It facilitates you to make appropriate choices. Top      Who provides training? Training is imparted by credible professional institutions which are either governmental or non- governmental. Institutes having the best faculty, infrastructural facilities and aptitude for personal attention are selected from each local area (town/ city).   For instance Central Institute for Tool Designing, NIITs, Government Polytechnics, National Institute for Fashion Technology, Kotwal Teacher Training Institute etc are some of the training institutes providing retraining programmes for the VRS employees. There are a host of other good institutes in a variety of skills/trades in several districts of the state. Top      How training programmes are designed? Each training programme is designed to meet the specific requirements of the VRS employees who have to build on their existing skills or levels of comprehension. Every training programme starts with basic and proceeds gradually to equip them with the state-of-art. They are tailor-made and are designed in consultation with the expectations and background of the trainees. SSNP and training institutes together in consultation with the trainees design the training programmes.   Further sessions of these training programmes are scheduled to suit the convenience of trainees. Some could attend before attending to their present job or after returning from the present nature of work. Some attend during daytime. Timings are flexible to suit the convenience of the VRS employees Top    What is the duration of training? It varies from a few weeks to six months. No training programme is beyond six months as it would deprive the trainee of his engagement in gainful employment Top    What do trainees get in addition to skill upgradation? The fee of training is met entirely by the SSNP. Besides, the trainees would be provided tools, if required, in some of the training programmes. Trainees would also receive travel allowance to meet the cost of traveling to attend the skill training /or self-employment orientation programmes. Top  Do trainees get any stipend for undergoing any training? No. No trainee will receive any stipend. Top      Who meets the cost of training? SSNP meets the total cost of skill training or orientation for self-employment programme. Further, he/ she would get the travel reimbursed and get any tools if required.  Trainees do not need to spend any amount for their capacity building activities undertaken by the SSNP. Top  Where the training is organized? Training is organized in an institute nearer to the VRS employees. Often the training programmes are organized within one's town/ city. However, if the trainees are willing to go to Hyderabad or adjoining district if there is no training institute locally available, the same could be planned provided the cost of lodging and boarding are to be borne by the trainee. It has been done on a few occasions. Top   Does SSNP provide training to children of VRS employees?   No. SSNP is working to facilitate VRS employees to be relevant and effective in post VRS environment. It strives to develop human capital of the VRS employees only.   However, children of VRS employees are provided training facilities in exceptional cases where the VRS employee is not in a position to earn his/her livelihood for reasons of ill health/ physical disadvantage and related problems.   Top How could VRS employees help SSNP? You could help SSNP in improving its outreach and contribution in mitigating the trauma of the job displaced persons. You could help in any or several of the following ways   Informing your colleagues & other VRS employees of listed AP Public Enterprises about SSNP Help SSNP in contacting or building rapport with the VRS employees of listed AP Public Enterprises Help SSNP in assessing the job opportunities available locally Keep SSNP informed about your status of redeployment so that SSNP improves its database on the utility of different kinds of retraining programmes Mobilise the support of other agencies (trade unions/ NGOs/ financial institutions/ placement organizations/ media/ etc) in strengthening the efforts of VRS employees in finding alternative livelihoods   Top