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This was happening for the first time in Rashmi’s life. Like many others who were victims to being unexpectedly laid off, downsized, or witnessing contract work dry up losing employment in the 2021 covid-economy hit, Rashmi felt a sense of betrayal by her employer, and to a greater extend powerless over the direction of her life. She recalls her father’s sacrifice to prioritize her education, “ever after earning NR 7,000 (approx. 86$) a month to make ends meet.” Rashmi gleefully recalls the day when she got her first job after graduation. “The next big thing which happened in my life was my wedding,” smiled Rashmi who continued her employment to support the family after marriage. “And then all of a sudden, the pandemic changed our lives.” notes the 29 year-old, claiming, “I was overwhelmed by the uncertainty on when I will be able to find work again.”
Staying at home, she had to face the brunt of increasing responsibilities towards families, while “coping up with the grief of job loss, and ever-burdening insecurities.” marks Rashmi. After the initial disbelief and numbness of months of zero-income, Rashmi decided to look for opportunities to regain financial independence. “Some community volunteers introduced me to ANUDIP Barasat Centre” near her in-laws’ residence which promised to upskill her on employability training courses designed to provide decent employment to those in need. “It was a bit daunting at first to learn new skills and build a disciple to attend classes, but I continued my training”, iterates Rashmi who found skill-development as a refuge to prospective employment in such times. On completing her training and assessments, Rashmi once again restarted her career.
In 2022, she entered one of the premier corporate companies in India. “I call myself a Data Analyst at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), earning a salary of INR 70,000 per month,” marks Rashmi, who stands a testament that freshly-learnt skills has not just given back a livelihood but “a sense of purpose, a structure in her day, and a social outlet.” At the workspace, her reliability, communication and problem-solving skills have been lauded by her peers, as well as her managers. “The pandemic was a huge stressor shaking up our psyche but that one year -taught me a different side of life.” iterates the ANUDIP alumna owing her success to her mentors in Anudip Barasat Skill and Career Development Centre ” who insisted me not to personalize my previous job loss but professionalize my proficiencies in that tenure”.
