Katalyst program supports women learners from low-income households, pursuing professional  STEM education such as Engineering, to secure jobs in various sectors that offer them strong paths for career and economic growth. Hence, in addition to the skill gap, Katalyst aims to bridge the socio-economic gap to create a level playing field so that these young women can aspire and excel to become transformational leaders. Katalyst’s vision is to empower women for equality in opportunity and leadership.

The Major objectives of the program are:

• To enhance these girls’ self-esteem and employability through developmental interventions
• To Improve their capability to get placed in a dream company and command a higher salary
• To prepare them for leadership roles
• To make them socially empowered who make informed choices about personal and professional life.
• To be socially aware citizens who give back to the society

We operate in six cities Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, and Chennai. We have expanded to Hyderabad and Chennai in last one year as plan of our scale.

Our target population is girl students who satisfy the following criteria

• Pursuing STEM education from Indian colleges
• Have a good academic track record
• Annual Family Income of up to INR 500,000 (<US$ 7,000)

Since our inception with just 10 students, Katalyst has grown to enroll over 700 students annually, with plans to reach 1,000 students next year. To date, we have impacted 3,000 girls and their families across six cities. Our students not only secure placements in top companies but also break barriers as the first women engineers in their families, transforming their communities.

Impact Assessment

We’re proud to say that Katalyst’s 4-year intensive program has been evaluated through Sattva, a reputed consulting firm that delivers high impact reports (https://www.sattva.co.in/). The key results are as follows:

• The median salary offered to Katalyst students is 42.8% higher as compared to their peers in the same colleges.
• 100% percent of Katalyst students reported being aware of skill relevant job opportunities compared to only 47% percent among the control cohort.
• As stated by employers of Katalyst students:
  • Approximately 94% percent of Katalyst candidates have met employer expectations in all aspects and 62.5% candidates exceeded expectations.
  • Katalyst candidates reported more confidence in communication and performing their tasks compared to others. This is significant considering English is not their first language.

Recognition

• 'Outstanding Support for Students' in collaboration with COEP and VJTI by Times Higher Education Asia Award, UK (2020)
• ‘Championing diversity award’ by The PIEoneer Awards 2020, UK (2020)
• Gold Award for the Best Education Project from Global Good Awards, UK (2020)
• Finalist of ‘The KIT Innovation Challenge 2020’ by the KIT International, Australia
• World of Difference Award by The International Alliance for Women (2020)
• A Film on Katalyst Alumna, “Dreams Know No Gender”, won “Yes I am the Change”, Social Film Challenge Award by Yes Foundation! (2017)
• Special Mention for ‘Best CSR Practices in Education’ at BeyonDiversity’s I Inspire Conference (2019)
• EdelGive Social Innovation Honours for exceptional work in the field of Women Empowerment by EdelGive foundation

The students go through a blend of unique development interventions as follows:

A. Workforce readiness skills:

• Scientifically researched 600-hour Proprietary Curriculum focuses equally on Leadership & Self-development, English proficiency & Communication as well as Technical & Career Readiness skills. Partnered with Udemy Business for technical and English language curriculum.
• Access to Internships and exposure through industry visits. Some of these internships convert into Pre-Placement Offers. The corporates consider Katalyst as campus to hire fresh graduates.
• Annual Techfest which includes Hackathon and engineering projects to showcase their technical, analytical, communication and leadership skills.

B. Exposure to Leadership:

• Annual leadership convention: This event provides our girls an opportunity to network with one another, with leaders from the industry and stakeholders. The top performers of the Katalyst program receive awards during this event.
• Leadership Speaker series: Global Leaders / CXOs from industries are invited to guide the students about studies, career and personal growth

C. Mentoring:

• One-on-one mentoring with a mature adult who has varied experience. The mentor is guided by our proprietary mentoring framework and handbook
• Mental Health Counselling – Partnership with YourDost for the counselling, workshops and online content for awareness towards mental health fitness

D. Earn as you learn:

• Financial pay-out based on their training attendance, mentor interactions, academic performance, leadership and volunteering initiatives.
• A laptop with a co-pay model to each girl and data pack to help her attend the virtual classes in college and at Katalyst
• Medical insurance provided for the Katalyst student and her mother

The program activities are implemented in partnerships with colleges, institutional trainers, and corporate partners.