Microsoft and the Directorate General of Training are collaborating to provide digital skills to Indian youngsters

Microsoft has worked with India’s Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to give training to students and educators at government institutions via the Directorate General of Training (DGT). The alliance intends to meet the rising need for qualified people in fields such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, web development, and cybersecurity.

Courses at public institutions:

The collaboration would provide students and faculty members at government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skills Training Institutions (NSTIs) with a diverse choice of courses. These courses will provide participants with industry-related skills while also improving their employability and linking them with relevant career prospects.

This effort will benefit around 6,000 students and 200 faculty members, assisting them in improving their abilities and preparing for possibilities in the digital economy.

Minister of State of Skill Development, Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “With acceleration in digitalization post-Covid, there has been a huge demand for talent and skilled workforce in the tech space. Our platforms like DGTs, ITIs and STIs are driving the skilling efforts from the frontline.”

The training program’s goal is to provide young students with industry-relevant skills, improve their employability, and link them with work possibilities. It provides Artificial intelligence fluency, cloud computing, and web development training, as well as learning from industry experts and participation in deep-dive sessions and capstone projects.

Faculty members will benefit from Train-the-Trainer courses in AI, cloud computing, web development, Power BI, and soft skills. These qualified instructors may then instruct ITI students in computer operator and programming assistant (COPA) programmes. This cascade concept will allow information and skills to be disseminated to a larger audience, producing a multiplier effect.

Microsoft’s Take on skill development

“Empowering India’s youth with digital skills is crucial to building economic resilience and ensuring a brighter future for all. We are pleased to collaborate with DGT to train the country’s youth with the skills to succeed in today’s digital economy,” said Jean-Philippe Courtois, executive vice president and president, of National Transformation Partnerships, Microsoft.

Microsoft works with non-profit organisations to provide a variety of courses. Microsoft will aid in placing successful learners with the help of DGT by collaborating with recruiting agencies, and placement agencies, and organising job fairs to provide career prospects.

Microsoft, which employs over 20,000 people in 11 locations throughout India, intends to drive digital transformation across startups, enterprises, and government organisations by offering global cloud services from local data centres.

‘CyberShikshaa’ programme expansion:

The collaboration will also involve students and instructors from 10 NSTIs for women in the ‘CyberShikshaa’ programme, which focuses on basic and intermediate cybersecurity skills training.