The Government of Andhra Pradesh is implementing a comprehensive economic reforms programme. This programme covers state-level public enterprises and co-operative enterprises, in which the Government Is a dominant shareholder. There are 40 State Level Public Enterprises (SLPEs) and 60 Co-operative Societies. Low yield and accumulated losses from these enterprises compelled the Government to take drastic steps. Many of these enterprises are over-staffed and are a severe burden on the State's resource base and consequently a burden on the people. Having lost relevance to the current needs and with a sizeable manpower not commensurate with the output, some of the enterprises have to be either downsized or even closed. Privatisation is the workable and a viable option in the case of some of these units. The Government has identified several State Level Public Enterprises and Co-operatives for restructuring and reform.

Any reform programme is almost always a painful process. This is particularly so in the cases of public enterprises. The enterprise reform programme entails job losses bringing in its wake trauma for the employees. In order to mitigate this social impact, the Government has evolved Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and Special Compensation Package (SCP), which provides for an attractive severance package and Social Safety Net Programme.

Under the Andhra Pradesh Economic Restructuring Programme (APERP), supported by the World Bank, the Government is providing benefits under VRS/ SCP to the job displaced employees and workers. The VRS/ SCP package is far better, compared to compensation available under Industrial Dispute Act. The package was originally envisaged for those who had completed 10 years of service. However, the Government has since removed these restrictions and now all regular employees are eligible to receive VRS/SCP.

The Government has given a humane dimension to the public enterprise reform programme by providing an innovative Social Safety Net Programme addressing the issue of social and personal trauma resulting from untimely loss of job. Besides the monetary compensation to overcome financial loss, social safety net provides the much needed assistance and guidance to negotiate the changing market scenario for alternative livelihoods.

• Retraining and redeployment assistance activities are based on the requirements of the VRS employees.
• Retraining programmes are designed to meet individual specific plans and opportunities of redeployment. A large variety of retraining programmes are in place. New skills are identified from time to time. List of retraining areas is ever growing.
• Those seeking SSNP services have no monetary incentives. All assistance of SSNP is non monetary in nature to ensure that VRS employees don't take training programmes for ulterior motives.

• SSNP retraining programmes are implemented torn meet real demands of the VRS employees in facilitating alternative livelihoods.
• Often training programmes, of varied agencies, are rendered meaningless as people opt training to actually receive stipend and not improve their skills and capacities, which is the manifest objective of training activity.

• Retraining assistance is individual specific. Retraining programmes are designed to suit the specific needs of the trainees.
• Flexible and provide wide choice to the VRS employees to opt a training in skill area that promises alternative livelihoods.
• Retraining programmes are of varied nature and include conventional trades like carpentry/ house wiring/ gold smithy/ garment manufacturing etc to modern trades like embedded software systems/ CAD CAM/ operation of hydraulic excavator, etc.
• There are programmes having only one person in a batch. While there programmes having around twenty persons as well in a batch. Average size of training batch is 12 persons.
• Training courses are designed to suit the needs of VRS employees and are different from the course structure offered for college students by the training institutes. For instance, a course for training in "Computerised accounting packages" includes basics of computers and then proceed to accounting packages.
• Training programmes are designed to meet the requirements of the trainees with reference to their educational/ technical profile and the local labour market demand for a specific skill.

• Retraining programmes are in-depth and are focused on providing practical and applied aspects of the skill.
• Generally retraining programmes are of three to six months and are held at convenient hours of the trainees who maybe engaged in part timework.

• Retraining programmes are designed to help them get a job or start self-employment ventures.
• Some courses are designed to have multiple options to enhance chances of finding a job at the earliest. For instance, a computer-training programme has DTP, data entry and accounting package to enable one to take up any job that is available.

• Retrained VRS employees are provided with tool kits to ensure that they are engaged in self-employment or part time work immediately after they complete the course.
• Retrained employees are able to take up assignments with the help of tool kits for alternative livelihoods.
• Retrained employees are provided with tool kits wherever applicable viz., hardware networking, electrician motor rewinding, radio TV mechanism, surveying, carpentry, etc.

• Retraining programmes are conducted in agencies of excellence.
• Several agencies are involved to help redeployment. For instance a driving training programme enlists the participation of RTO officials, training institutes, local officials and bankers in inaugural, concluding programmes.
• Training institutes and local NGOs are involved to provide linkages with financial assistance for self-employment activity. For instance a group of women VRS employees trained in garment manufacturing have been assisted to get sewing machines from the DRDA in Anantapur district similarly in Karimnagar the retrained women VRS employees have been assisted to get loans from SC & BC Development Corporations.
• Networking with local NGO, officials, Trade unions is a general practice of the retraining and redeployment programmes of SSNP.
• Around 150 agencies, both government and non-governmental and privates agencies are enlisted by SSNP in providing redeployment and retraining assistance.

• SSNP programmes are linked with other development assistance activities wherever feasible.
• Financial assistance and other forms of assistance from varied agencies of the Government are accessed to enhance the chances self-redeployment.
• Several retrained persons get loans from the banks to start self-employment activity.
• Some members avail some assistance through DWCRA or SC/ BC/ Minority Development Corporation.

• SSNP retraining programmes also have redeployment assistance.
• Interface with some of the placement agencies to provide jobs to retrained persons at the earliest. Some placement agencies seek CVs of particular trades from SSNP.
• SSNP studies newspaper ads and get in touch with some of the placement agencies and provides them with the list of retrained persons in the areas of their interest.
• SSNP also provides assistance to persons trained in self-employment activity in preparing project proposals and enlisting financial assistance from the banks.
• Agencies like APITCO have been proving EDP training.

• All retraining programmes and self-employment orientation programmes are out sourced.
• Reputed institutes with competitive fee and willingness to provide customised training are enlisted.
• SSNP doesn't organise any training programme so that it could provide training in any area and also ensure best quality. Unlike some retraining agencies conducting the programmes with their in-house faculty and therefore are limited to providing only a few programmes.
• Out sourcing ensures best quality and larger variety of retraining assistance.