Bengaluru, NFAPost: SAP India and Microsoft announced the launch of a joint skilling programme, TechSaksham, for empowering young women students from underserved communities to build careers in technology.
Through this joint initiative, SAP India and Microsoft will skill 62,000 women students in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, web design, and digital marketing.
“TechSaksham … will transform the landscape of workplaces. More than 60,000 women being trained will create a massive impact. Moreover, with more than 1,000 women faculty certified, it will bring big ticket changes not only in employability of graduates but will encourage many more students to start their startup journey,” AICTE Chairman Anil D Sahasrabudhe said.
The program will partner with the AICTE Training and Learning Academy-ATAL and State Collegiate Education departments to support the professional development of faculty at participating institutes.
In the first year of implementation, the initiative will train 1,500 teachers and each faculty trained will be equipped to support over 50 students in one year, impacting 60,000 to 75,000 students.
“Our partnership with Microsoft is an expansion of this vision where we focus on equipping the young women of our country with skills in emerging technologies like AI and cloud computing empowering them to be a part of the future ready workforce. Through this initiative, we aim to build an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace of tomorrow,” SAP indian Subcontinent President and Managing Director Kulmeet Bawa said.
A collaborative, pan-India initiative, this program will be implemented by Edunet Foundation, which will develop future-ready skills in young women graduating in sciences, engineering, computer applications, and vocational studies.
The program offers a core curriculum to understand the application of technology and activity-based engagements to implement the skills under expert mentors, ensuring job readiness.
Students will also get an opportunity to showcase their work to business leaders and experts from local industries, helping establish early linkages with industry ecosystems.
“Our partnership with SAP reflects our commitment towards strengthening the skilling ecosystem and closing the digital skills gap by enabling Indian women to pursue the path to success in a digital-first economy.
In addition, we are working closely with the government and industry partners like NASSCOM and National Skill Development Council (NSDC) on several skilling initiatives that contribute to creating a vibrant skilling ecosystem in India,” Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari said.
