Auto technician

Training for
Women
Prepared by Goodera
Contents
Context ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Proposed Program Model ............................................................................................................................ 3
Program Objective.................................................................................................................................... 3
Beneficiary Profile .................................................................................................................................... 3
Need Assessment Methodology .............................................................................................................. 3
Course Content ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Challenges Anticipated................................................................................................................................. 4
Potential Opportunities ............................................................................................................................... 4
Context
With rising demand for skilled labor in the country, non-traditional livelihood opportunities for women
are increasing by the day. In fact, it was way back in 2006 that WHO acknowledged the imbalance in
livelihood opportunities for women and the upsurge in the need for women’s skills in non-traditional
sectors1. While opportunities for some non-traditional livelihoods such as professional chauffeuring and
electrical repairing seem to be increasing, the livelihood of vehicle repairing is an unexplored avenue.
Our desk research has revealed that while there are fragmented instances of women working as vehicle
repairers2,3,4, there are very few organizations (if any) that actively train women specifically in the
vocation of vehicle repairing. This presents an opportunity supporting women in Non-Traditional
Livelihoods (NTLs), to expand its CSR portfolio and include more innovative NTL training programs.

Proposed Program Model

The proposed idea is to fund an auto-technician training program which would provide employment to
urban and semi-urban women as auto-technicians. This program can be created in partnership with any
other partners providing such a training. In order to make the program holistic and sustainable, the
program would provide market linkages to organizations open to providing employment to female auto-
technicians.

Program Objective
The objective of the program is to enhance income generation opportunities for women by training and
employing them as vehicle auto technicians.

Beneficiary Profile
The program can be conducted for underprivileged women in the urban and the urban-slum areas
between 20-35 years of age who are willing to take up vehicle repairing as a profession.

Need Assessment Methodology

To evaluate the magnitude of the challenges anticipated and the existence of potential opportunities as
listed in the upcoming sections, one must conduct a need assessment with the stakeholders involved in
a program like this. The key stakeholders identified are as listed below:

 Beneficiaries i.e. women

 Immediate Family Members
 Employers i.e. Car-servicing companies
 Customers i.e. vehicle owners

Once the stakeholders are identified, a survey needs to be done to understand the need, willingness
and potential impact of this kind of an intervention following which we may choose whether to go
forward with a pilot program.

Course Content
The Auto-Technician Training model can contain the following modules as the main components of
training:

1) Vehicle Repair Skills: This is the main module teaching the skills of repairing vehicles such as
Autos, Scooters, Bikes etc.
 2) Communication Skills: This includes Spoken English and other such courses
3) Customer Interaction Skills: This includes modules on how to greet the client, how to
communicate with the client etc.
4) Workplace Safety Training: This module emphasizes on the safety practices to be followed in a
hazardous environment such as a garage

Additionally, one can make the training comprehensive by providing training in the following modules:

1) Financial Literacy Modules: This will include modules on the importance of savings and how can
one save and invest money
2) Women Empowerment Modules: This may include sessions of legal rights, community
involvement of women etc.
3) Self-defence Skills: This includes necessary skills for women to stay safe in case of a hostile work
environment

Challenges Anticipated
Given below are some of the challenges anticipated while implementing the program:

1) Receptiveness of the beneficiary and her family: As is the case with any non-traditional program
for women, the major challenges anticipated are the resistive mind-set of the beneficiaries’
families and the beneficiaries themselves.

2) Work-place culture: In a profession that is overwhelmingly dominated by males, convincing the

employees to be supportive of women working along with them is another challenge we may
face when we employ the women.

3) Safety and health concerns5: The job of vehicle repairing comes with a number of safety and
health issues. Auto technicians face various occupational hazards on a daily basis. Working
under vehicles, using heavy machinery and power tools, plus being on their feet all day and
straining their backs and muscles are only a few of the challenges that women will have to face.
But there’s more to their job than just the physical risk. The chemicals and solvents used in the
job may cause side-effects such as eye irritation, dizziness, breathing problems and headaches.
The sheer anticipation of those workplace hazards might further deter women from considering
the opportunity of working as an auto technician.

Potential Opportunities
1) Unique Livelihood Opportunity: This will have the first-mover advantage in this space through
this program.

2) Potential Employee Pool: Vehicle-servicing companies to guarantee an employment after

training, the challenge on the demand side of the project can be overcome

3) Collaboration with other women in the NTL space: Further, by collaborating with NGOs that
work in the NTL space, we can also source women drivers as customers for the women auto-
technicians