Alibaug: Seven students from the first batch of the Institute for Excellence in Services and Planning (IESP), Alibaug, have been selected for ground staff positions at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), marking a significant step towards creating employment opportunities for youth in Raigad district.

IESP operates in collaboration with PNP Education Society. A special felicitation ceremony was organised to honour the selected students, with their parents and representatives of both organisations participating in the event.

Highlighting unemployment as a major concern in Raigad, Chitralekha Patil, secretary of PNP Education Society, said thousands of young men and women had received employment opportunities through initiatives supported by the Patil family and various organisations.

She stressed the need for students to complement formal education with skill-based training to meet changing industry requirements. The selection of seven students from the institute’s first batch for aviation-related jobs was a proud achievement, she said.

Gary Khanna, director and chief executive officer of IESP, said the institute aimed to train around 5,000 youth from Raigad over the next three to four years and connect them with employment opportunities.

He said local youth had considerable potential and could secure jobs in aviation and other expanding service sectors with appropriate training, guidance and industry-relevant skills.

IESP, which operates in collaboration with Airawat Group and PNP Education Society, offers training in airport management, aviation, hospitality, customer service and allied service sectors. Its objective is to prepare students for employment by aligning their skills with industry requirements.

The selection of the first seven students is being viewed as an encouraging beginning, with the institute aiming to expand training and employment opportunities for more youth across Raigad.