SAP India and Microsoft announced the launch of a joint skilling program, 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.
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 - 75,000 students.
A collaborative, pan-India initiative, this program will be implemented by Edunet Foundation, who 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.
Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, 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 employability of graduates but will encourage many more students to start their startup journey.
Kulmeet Bawa, President and Managing Director, SAP Indian Subcontinent, said, “Through this initiative, we aim to build an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace of tomorrow.”
Speaking about the partnership, Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said, “Digital fluency will not just be a competitive advantage but a necessity to qualify for jobs. This requires a massive effort to skill India’s talent and workforce.”
Centers of Excellence for enabling employment
Select teachers and institutes will be identified during and after the first year of program implementation to establish a nodal center in each target geography. In the subsequent years, these nodal centers will drive outreach to regional institutions and motivate students and teachers to participate in the program. Furthermore, the initiative will help create local community linkages and develop connections with local industry to create strong career pathways for all participating students.
The program will focus on delivering the following outcomes in the first year of implementation:
Build skills of the future. Directly train 2000 students across India – for employment in tech related fields.
Establish college to industry linkages. Support students with opportunities for internships, jobs and micro-entrepreneurship opportunities to 50 percent of the qualifying students
Build scalable ecosystems for sustenance. Drive capacity building by training 1500 teachers and establish 5 nodal centers. With each teacher having the potential to influence over 50 students, around 60,000 students will be indirectly impacted in the first year.
Engage in a cultural relook. Drive students towards innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurial mindset to raise students to be original thinkers who can be uniquely productive. Showcase 50 technical solutions that solve local problems delivering societal impact.
