Microsoft has launched the Future Ready Talent programme to provide India’s youth with technology skills for employability.
The programme is a virtual internship that will last for nine weeks and provide 190 hours of learning. Students will be able to improve their digital skills, work on critical projects in a sandbox environment, receive mentoring from industry experts, and get access to potential employers.
Microsoft hopes the initiative will impact over 150,000 higher education students who will join the workforce between 2022-2024.
The tech giant will provide learning modules and certifications through Microsoft Learn, its learning platform, and skill students on topics like cloud computing, data & AI, and cyber security.
A number of partners will also take part in the programme, including the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), FutureSkills Prime, Ernst & Young, GitHub, and Quess Corp. They will provide a skilling platform to connect talent to opportunity.
“India’s youth is among the country’s biggest competitive advantages. Empowering this talent with the right skills to be self-reliant will be foundational to our long-term growth,” said Anant Maheshwari, president of Microsoft India. “The Future Ready Talent Program provides a holistic skilling experience that connects learners more readily with new job opportunities.”
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Eligible students - those who will be joining the workforce in next two years, along with students who graduated in 2021 - can apply for the programme through the Future Ready Talent website and register for open batches, with the first batch commencing on 15 September 2021. The internship will begin on 27 September with 50,000 students.
Last month, SAP India and Microsoft launched a digital skills programme to train 62,000 women from underrepresented communities in AI, cloud computing, digital marketing, and web design. The initiative, called TechSaksham, was set to initially train 2,000 women through 200 hours of training, spread over two semesters. It was also going to provide technology boot camps and opportunities to consult with industry experts for knowledge sharing and guidance.
