In November 2020, software giants SAP and Microsoft were among the first technology companies that signed up with the Directorate General of Training (DGT) to lead tech-training programmes for the youth across India. In pursuit of building Atmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India, tech giants and multinational companies have committed to collaborate to deliver 21st-century digital skillset training programmes in connection to the Industry 4.0 revolution.

Today, long-standing partners SAP and Microsoft have once again joined hands to support India’s efforts in narrowing the digital skills gap and advancing digital inclusion. The two companies launched ‘TechSaksham’, a joint skilling programme centred on equipping underserved women students with technology and employability skills to support them in building tech careers.

Deepening Alliance of SAP and Microsoft in India Centred on Digital Inclusion

SAP and Microsoft’s pan-India joint initiative intends to skill 62,000 women students in technology areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, web design, and digital marketing. To be implemented by Edunet Foundation, an Indian non-profit with a pan-India presence, the programme will develop future-ready skills of young women pursuing higher education in sciences, computer applications, vocational areas, and engineering.

SAP Indian Subcontinent President and Managing Director Kulmeet Bawa reinforced that SAP’s commitment on advancing digital inclusion and equity across India is exemplified in SAP Labs India’s flagship programme Code Unnati that has already trained 1.8 million adolescents and children, of which majority are girls. Commenting on the joint-initiative with Microsoft, he said:

“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.”

Echoing SAP’s advocacy on upskilling the youth, Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari stressed that skills needed today will be remarkably different from what will be needed in the future. He said that skilling India’s talent and workforce requires a massive effort, especially that digital fluency has now become critical in one’s employability.

“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,” Maheshwari added.

Creating Pathways to Tech Careers

The TechSaksham sponsored by SAP and Microsoft follows a two-tiered delivery model. The core program engagement will be focused on learning and acquiring skills to understand the application of technology by the students followed by an activity led modular engagement delivered over a year to practice and implement skills under the mentorship of industry experts to ensure job-readiness of the students. The programme is designed to create industry pathways by supporting participants with jobs, internships, and entrepreneurship opportunities.

In the first year of implementation, TechSaksham will be:

• Supporting the professional development of 1,500 teachers
• Training over 50 students per faculty in one year, impacting 60,000-75,000 students
• Directly training 2,000 students across India for employment in tech-related fields
• Available in associated colleges in Delhi/NCR region, Bhopal ,Vijayawada, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, and Pune
  

After the first year of implementation, a nodal centre– composed of select teachers and students– will be established in each target geography to eventually drive outreach to regional institutions and motivate students and teachers to participate in the programme. 

Detailing the impact of TechSaksham, Anil D Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of AICTE, said:

“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 the employability of graduates but will encourage many more students to start their startup journey.”

The post TechSaksham Reflects Strong Alliance of SAP and Microsoft in India appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.

Late last year, SAP and UNICEF have announced its global collaboration, as part of Generation Unlimited, to provide quality education, life skills, and job skills training to young people in disadvantaged communities, preparing them for decent work and active citizenship. The three-year partnership aims to reach out to the youth across Africa, Asia, and Europe, with initial efforts focused on India, Turkey, and Vietnam.

True to its objective, in mid-July this year coinciding with the celebration of World Youth Skills Day, the global partnership of SAP and UNICEF has reached the Indian soil. Centred on improving the employability of the youth amid the pandemic to prepare them for the new world of work, SAP India Pvt Ltd and UNICEF India have committed to providing career counseling and digital education in India. 

Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India, said that the SAP India and YuWaah partnership will equip the youth when facing today’s urgent challenges by exposing them to life skills, social innovation, and career guidance. She said:

“COVID-19 has led to disruptions in educational, economic, and social spheres of life, throwing up many challenges for young people. The UNICEF – YuWaah – SAP India partnership aims to empower young people, to harness their creativity, problem-solving, and leadership assets, to make a difference in their own lives and in their communities.”

The Three-way Collaboration

UNICEF will be collaborating with YuWaah to provide digital education and occupational skillset to the underserved young people of India. Yuwaah was launched in November 2019 to strengthen education, skills, empowerment, and economic opportunities for young people, aligned with the Government of India’s efforts. Generation Unlimited India’s strategy and mission is to enable India’s youth and connect them to aspirational work and engage them as active change-makers.

The UNICEF – YuWaah – SAP collaboration aims to:

• Improve digital skills and life skills for young people
• Provide young people with career options.
• Reimagine the model in other states with the Government of India
• Impacting one million young people by the end of 2022.

Recognising the Opportunity Gap

It has to be noted that India has the world’s largest youth population with 333 million aged between 10 – 24 years. Despite the country’s accelerating technology-driven economy, in terms of career and employability opportunities, young people in the rural areas are at a huge disadvantage. Outside the cities, the young population has limited access to information, training, opportunities or the skills to future-proof their careers. Add to the equation the socio-economic impact of coronavirus.

Alexandra van der Ploeg, Head of CSR at SAP said:

“Quality education and digital inclusion have never been more important. COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of access to education and this couldn’t be more relevant to India which has the highest number of young people.” 

Van der Ploeg emphasised that SAP’s partnership with UNICEF in support of the UN’s Generation Unlimited initiative puts the spotlight on the power of innovation in addressing social issues as well as empowering the youth through education, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship.

“In true SAP spirit, our unique partnership with UNICEF will not only maximise our collective impact but inspire young people in India and across the globe to help the world run better. After all, if our young people aren’t given the opportunities for skill development, they won’t be able to associate and support social causes that help in development of a nation,” she further said.

The post SAP India Pvt Ltd, UNICEF India Foster Digital Skills appeared first on InsideSAP Asia.