Capgemini's E.L.I.T.E. General Management Program - Capgemini Gives Back

Week 4 of on-boarding of E.L.I.T.E General Management Program was an interesting mix of preparations for the forthcoming Consulting Skills Workshop, sessions with direct relevance to our work life and a peek into Capgemini Corporate Social Responsibility. We started off with some insights into A Day in the Life of a Consultant. Emphasis on having a structured approach in general whether it is a project plan or your own list of to-dos was imbibed by the trainees. Example scenarios faced in real projects were shared and our own questions on a myriad of topics and “how-tos” were fielded with aplomb. Taking care of the little things which may seem easy but are easily neglected often keeps the larger picture on track. And procrastinating a complex large chunk of work in favour of multiple easier to digest topics only makes the day more hectic. Taking care of these simple aspects on meeting management, planning and scheduling ensure that the focus remains on your work. In between the sessions we had some slots to prepare for the Consulting Skills Workshop, we presented twice on the case to the facilitators and already received some useful feedback, much before we even stepped foot onto Capgemini University, Les Fontaines. Observing the trainers was a lesson in itself on how to keep a meeting engaging and interesting from millions of miles away rather than face to face. The week was rounded off by visits to some of the organisations contributing to making this world a better place which interacts with Capgemini’s CSR initiatives. We visited four organisations. The first was Sarthak Education Trust whose vision is "To Empower Persons with Disability, enabling them to live their life with dignity and respect." We learned about their initiatives, job portals, training and even met some of the students. It is inspiring to meet people like Sanjeev, who overcame adversities and joined as a student in Sarthak and got placed in Dominos. Another interesting NGO we visited was Plan India whose vision is of the world in which all children realise their full potential in societies which respect people’s rights and dignity. Plan India is a member of Plan International Federation and is a nationally registered independent child development organisation committed to creating a lasting impact in the lives of vulnerable and excluded children, their families and communities. We visited a model school in a village which falls under this foundation. The passion of all the people who involved in this moved us all. One of the key points was the emphasis on sustainability of the project and it was heartening to see the immense community involvement and how the people of that village supported this initiative. Interacting with the curious children of the school too was interesting with their questions ranging from “What do you like to do?” and “Where do you come from?” to “How can we become like you?” The school had several innovative ideas such as an honesty box and model student panchayats. The drinking water, food, wash rooms, hand-washing facilities and safety and security features too showed why this school had been declared as a model one. It was a great moment when the NGO representatives mentioned that why they liked Capgemini’s approach was because the company did not just donate items as part of a checklist just to claim CSR is done, but instead takes the time to identify what are the real needs unlike many others. America India Foundation, an organisation whose main mission is to catalyse social and economic change in India, made for an interesting visit. The centre ran Market Aligned Skills Training programs that help underprivileged young people gain the knowledge and skills needed to join the workforce. It was wonderful to interact with the hard working and dedicated trainers and training centre head who spearhead this program. The commitment put in by the trainers to uplift the marginalised sections of society was moving to experience. And it was heartening to know that Capgemini was involved closely with such initiatives. Youth for Jobs Foundation was another organisation we visited. This was one organisation that clearly aligned with one of Capgemini’s responsibility and sustainability initiatives of Active Inclusion. YJF helps companies build an inclusive workforce and works on the entire value chain of taking the youth from unemployment to organised sector job. ‘Empowerment through disability’ is the core philosophy of Youth For Jobs and as a strong believer in the ability of the disability, the organisation explores the complete potential of disabled individuals, turning what they call ‘shortcomings’ into strength. A truly inspirational project that left us introspecting. “It was great to see that Capgemini was actually carrying out research about the needs of the village schools before investing money in their cause; something that differentiates us from most of the other firms doing CSR.” – Akshat Govil, E.L.I.T.E Management Trainee 2017 The week left us inspired, energized and raring to go! We thank Capgemini for the opportunity to visit these NGOs and look forward to what next week brings! Follow the E.L.I.T.E. team’s journey on Twitter by following #Cap_ELITE or visit www.in.capgemini.com/careers/eliteprogram to know more about the E.L.I.T.E. General Management Program. Until next time!