Kotak Education Foundation launches Skill2Win – A free-of-cost, career readiness vocational education and livelihood program for youth in Mumbai.

Kotak Education Foundation (KEF), the CSR implementing arm of Kotak Mahindra Group, is proud to announce the launch of Skill2Win, a specially designed 2-month, free-of-cost vocational education and livelihood program aimed at equipping youth with essential professional, communication, IT, and life skills, enabling them to confidently enter the workforce across multiple sectors.

The program is designed for a diverse range of aspirants, including those who have completed Grade 10, 11, or 12, students who have appeared for Third Year degree examinations, and graduates seeking to enhance their employability.

On successful completion, KEF also provides placement opportunities, connecting participants with organisations across industries, helping them start their careers with confidence and dignity.

Through 200 hours of intensive classroom training, Skill2Win equips participants with:

• Professional & Communication Skills – building confidence, workplace etiquette, and presentation abilities

• Workplace Readiness – preparing aspirants for roles in the organised sector

• Life Skills – enhancing resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities

• Basic IT Skills – developing digital fluency for modern workplaces

Speaking about the launch, Abhijat Bedekar, Senior Manager, Vocational Education & Livelihood, Kotak Education Foundation, said:

“We are excited to announce the launch of Skill2Win, a dynamic vocational education course designed to empower young learners with the tools they need to succeed in today’s competitive job market. Skill2Win is built on three strong pillars: Job Readiness, Communication Skills, and IT Skills. The program focuses on building confidence, practical workplace habits, and digital fluency to help participants transition smoothly into professional careers. By combining technical knowledge with essential soft skills, Skill2Win prepares learners not just to secure employment but to thrive and grow in their chosen fields, opening doors to long-term opportunities and success.”

Program Duration: 2 months | Training Hours: 200 classroom hours

For enrolment and more details, visit: https://www.kotakeducationfoundation.org/what-we-do/vocational-education/skill-2-win

About Kotak Education Foundation (KEF)

Celebrating two impactful decades, Kotak Education Foundation (KEF) is committed to empowering children and youth from under-resourced communities through education, skills, and opportunity. Guided by the philosophy of “Inch Wide, Mile Deep”, KEF implements scalable, high-impact programs that uplift children and youth across the country.

1. Holistic School-Based Programs with Students and Educators

● In Mumbai, KEF’s interventions focus on strengthening school leadership, enhancing teacher capabilities in Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), creating digital learning environments, and building students’ confidence through communicative English.

● In Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, and Andhra Pradesh, KEF is driving systemic transformation through Project KSHAMATA (Kindling Scholastic Acumen and Mediating Academic and Technological Awareness). This initiative builds the capacity of teachers and school leaders, fosters academic excellence, and promotes all-round student development—aligned with the state curriculum and NEP 2020 goals.

● As a key partner in the PM SHRI Schools initiative, KEF is now scaling its capacity building program in 300+ schools in Maharashtra. The program uses experiential, play-based, and discovery-oriented pedagogy to make learning engaging and outcome-driven. Every child’s progress is assessed on conceptual understanding and real-world application, creating inclusive, equitable learning environments in line with NEP 2020’s vision of exemplar schools.

● In alignment with NIPUN Bharat and SCERT state plans, KEF’s Model School Project promotes 21st-century learning across 21 schools in five Maharashtra districts. The initiative integrates FLN, communicative English, digital solutions, leadership development, and infrastructure enhancement to foster creativity, critical thinking, and future readiness among students.

2. Equitable Scholarships for Higher Education

● The Kotak Kanya Scholarship (launched in 2021) supports academically meritorious girl students from across India in pursuing higher education.

● The Kotak Junior Scholarship aids bright students from Mumbai’s underserved communities in completing Grades 11 and 12.

● Kotak Shiksha Nidhi, a compassionate response to the COVID-19 crisis, provides educational continuity to students aged 6–22 who lost a parent or primary earning family member. Going beyond financial aid, the initiative offers academic mentoring, mental health support, life coaching, and career guidance—helping students rebuild their future with renewed confidence.

3. Vocational Education & Livelihood Training for Youth

● KEF’s Unnati Program equips unemployed youth from low-income backgrounds with essential life skills, digital literacy, spoken English, and personality development. With a strong focus on placement support, Unnati ensures participants are job-ready and confident to step into the professional world.

With a strong foundation and bold vision, KEF is now transitioning from a "school-as-a-unit" model to district- and state-level transformation—driving Impact at Scale.

Kotak Education Foundation is the primary implementation partner for the education-focused CSR initiatives of Kotak Mahindra Group, under the Group’s CSR identity, Kotak Karma.

For more information, please visit the Company’s website at https://www.kotakeducationfoundation.org/

About Kotak Mahindra Group

Established in 1985, Kotak Mahindra Group is one of India's leading financial services conglomerates. In February 2003, Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd. (KMFL), the Group's flagship company, received banking license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), becoming the first non-banking finance company in India to convert into a bank - Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (KMBL).

Kotak Mahindra Group (the Group) offers a wide range of financial services that encompass every sphere of life. From commercial banking, to stock broking, mutual funds, life and general insurance and investment banking, the Group caters to the diverse financial needs of individuals and the corporate sector. The premise of Kotak Mahindra Group’s business model is concentrated India, diversified financial services. The bold vision that underscores the Group’s growth is an inclusive one, with a host of products and services designed to address the needs of the unbanked and insufficiently banked.

Kotak Mahindra Group has a global presence through its subsidiaries in UK, USA, Gulf Region, Singapore and Mauritius with offices in London, New York, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Mauritius respectively. As on 31st March, 2023, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd has a national footprint of 1,780 branches and 2,963 ATMs, and branches in GIFT City and DIFC (Dubai). For more information, please visit the Company’s website at https://www.kotak.com