Program Associate- Industry Engagement

QUEST Alliance; Ernakulam; Hybrid; INR 325,000 - 389,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Personal Accident Insurance

Mediclaim Insurance

RFS allowance

Internet Allowance

Childcare Support

Emotional health programs

Counselling sessions

Job summary

Quest Alliance in Ernakulam, Kerala, seeks a Program Associate – Industry Engagement to connect ITIs and vocational learners with employers and opportunities. You will build relationships with institutes, employers, government partners, and Quest teams to support employment, apprenticeships, and livelihood options for youths.

Strong communication, coordination and follow-through are essential. The role focuses on employer engagement, career transition support, and labour-market coordination to

Qualifications

• Employer engagement: communicate with employers and follow up on opportunities.
• Local labour market understanding: awareness of Kerala industries and job trends.
• Stakeholder coordination: coordinate with institutes, employers, government stakeholders and partner organisations.
• Execution & follow-through: manage multiple activities and timelines.
• Communication: strong interpersonal skills in Malayalam and English.
• Documentation & data: maintain trackers and simple reports using digital tools.

Responsibilities

• Identify and engage with employers, industry associations and partners relevant to ITI and vocational learners.
• Coordinate employer interactions, visits, job fairs and recruitment drives.
• Collect information on entry-level jobs, apprenticeships and other opportunities for learners.
• Track learner participation and placement outcomes; maintain engagement records.
• Support career exposure sessions and recruitment activities with ITIs and institutes.
• Share employer feedback and labour-market insights with program teams.

Skills

Employer engagement

Stakeholder coordination

Execution & follow-through

Communication (English & Malayalam)

Documentation & data management

Tools

Trackers & databases

Job description

About Us

The Program Associate – Industry Engagement will support industry engagement and career transition activities across ITIs and vocational training institutes in Ernakulam and surrounding districts. The role will work closely with institutes, employers, industry partners, government stakeholders and Quest Alliance teams to support young people in accessing employment, apprenticeships, self-employment and other livelihood opportunities. This is an execution-focused role requiring good communication, coordination, relationship-building and follow-through.

Key Responsibilities

• Industry & Employer Engagement
• Support in identifying employers, industry associations and other potential partners relevant to ITI and vocational learners.
• Reach out to employers and support the team in building and maintaining relationships.
• Collect information on entry-level jobs, apprenticeships and other opportunities suitable for learners.
• Coordinate employer interactions, industry visits, job fairs, recruitment drives and career events.
• Follow up with employers on opportunities, schedules and learner participation.
• Maintain updated employer contact details and engagement records.
• Institute & Career Transition Support
• Work with ITIs and vocational institutes to support career transition and placement-related activities.
• Coordinate with Placement Officers, trainers and institute teams for employer outreach and learner engagement.
• Support career exposure sessions, employer interactions, apprenticeship opportunities and recruitment activities.
• Assist institutes in maintaining placement, employer and alumni information.
• Encourage and support institute teams to take greater ownership of employer engagement and placement activities.
• Labour Market & Stakeholder Coordination
• Support the team in gathering information on local industries, employment opportunities and emerging sectors.
• Develop working relationships with relevant local employers, industry networks, government stakeholders and ecosystem partners.
• Share relevant employer and labour-market information with institute and program teams.
• Support stakeholder meetings, consultations and ecosystem events.
• Identify and share potential employment, apprenticeship and livelihood opportunities for learners.
• Program Coordination, Tracking & Reporting
• Support activity planning and coordinate with institutes, employers and internal teams for timely implementation.
• Track employer engagements, learner participation, job opportunities and transition outcomes.
• Maintain program trackers, databases and monitoring systems regularly.
• Support documentation of field insights, employer feedback, learner stories and good practices.
• Contribute to periodic reports, program reviews and team discussions.

Requirements

• Employer Engagement: Ability to communicate with employers, initiate conversations and follow up on opportunities.
• Local Labour Market Understanding: Basic understanding of industries, employment opportunities and workforce trends in Kerala.
• Stakeholder Coordination: Ability to coordinate with institutes, employers, government stakeholders and partner organizations.
• Execution & Follow-through: Good organizational skills and ability to manage multiple activities and timelines.
• Communication: Good interpersonal and communication skills in Malayalam and English .
• Documentation & Data: Comfortable maintaining trackers, basic reports and databases using digital tools.

Salary

The pay band for the position starts at Rs. 32,000/- per month (cost to company) (The salary offered will be commensurate with the experience and expertise of the candidate.)

Benefits

In addition to your compensation, you are also eligible for a suite of benefits designed to support your well-being and growth:

• Comprehensive Personal Accident Insurance covering up to ₹10,00,000 annually
• Mediclaim Insurance covering up to ₹3,00,000 annually, supported through our insurance partner, who also offer additional wellness benefits
• Reach for the Stars (RFS) amount of up to ₹5,000 to support your self-learning and knowledge-building efforts
• Internet allowance of up to ₹750/month, reimbursable based on actual usage to support flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• For employees with children under the age of 6 years, Quest offers childcare or day care fee support through a monthly matching contribution of up to ₹3,000, helping you create a supportive work-life balance
• Access to emotional health and wellbeing programs such as:
• Group sessions worth ₹7,500 per session fully covered by the organisation
• 1:1 counselling sessions (worth ₹1,800 per session), fully covered by the organisation