Access to skill training is still limited in the country for unemployed and unskilled youth in the country and girls are further affected to the access of skill training due to economic and socio-cultural barriers. MAW Foundation partnered with MAW Skills Academy to train the girls in marketable skills with providing the scholarship for girls. The scholarship partnership led to train fifteen girls as piloting which itself is the model of breaking the ‘conventionality’ and economic/socio-cultural barriers to increase the girls’ participation in construction and mechanical sectors. Now, as the girls are working, applied for license and looking for gainful employment in JCB Operation, it is quite apparent that scholarship is not only instrumental to enroll the needy girls in training but also the great tool to break the conventional mindset so that girls can be skilled in ‘unconventional’ sectors like construction and mechanics and to increase their participation in these sectors.
Though the scholarship was piloted in Excavator Operator skill, a good model can be created if the scholarship is expanded in other ‘unconventional’ skill areas for girls which leads not only increased employment among the girls but also contributes to the positive social change.