Edtech platform WhiteHat Jr on Thursday said it has partnered with FutureSkills Prime, a digital skilling initiative by Nasscom and the Electronics and IT Ministry, for offering a course on artificial intelligence.
This is the first time that WhiteHat Jr - which delivers coding classes to children aged 6 to 18 years - will reach out to undergraduates and executives.
The instructor-led one-on-one Foundation course on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is aligned to Competency Standards developed by Nasscom Sector Skills Council (SSC) in collaboration with industry and approved by the government of India, a statement said.
The course, developed by the WhiteHat Jr curriculum team, will be delivered live online by highly-trained teachers to undergraduates as well as executives, it added.
"We are leveraging our expertise to upskill the youth of India, working closely with the industry. AI is a key skill, one that can potentially disrupt the global workforce in the future," WhiteHat Jr CEO Trupti Mukker said.
The curriculum developed by WhiteHat Jr's team, and offered 1:1 by highly-trained teachers, will help build a strong foundation in AI to help upskill the nation, she added.
"Working closely with FutureSkills Prime, we will be offering the Course pro bono to support and motivate 500 meritorious aspirants who wish to pursue a career in the field of technology," Mukker said.
A fee will be applicable from batch two onwards for all applicants, tentatively scheduled to be launched in November and the fee structure for the paid course will be revealed closer to the launch date.
Kirti Seth, CEO IT-ITES Sector Skill Council Nasscom, said AI is going to transform people's lives forever.
"Technology is becoming sector agnostic and impacting every job role, and clearly Digital is the way forward. From academia to healthcare, our traditional roles are being transformed with technology, and we need to prepare our workforce, regardless of the industry they belong to, to develop AI skills to ensure that they sustain in a digital-first world," she added.
This joint initiative with WhiteHat Jr aims to equip the workforce of today with AI-ready skills, she said.
The AI Foundation program will be a mix of concepts and practicals. The curriculum starts with the basics of Python, Object-Oriented Programming and data structures. It also covers advanced topics such as data visualisation, statistical tools and AI/ Machine Learning (ML) algorithms.
WhiteHat Jr will offer the course from October 2021.
WhiteHat Jr Chief Business Officer (B2B) Nitin Kochhar said the registration for the course is open for all and any undergraduate/executive who wants to learn more about AI can participate in the programme.
"However, candidates will need to possess a basic understanding of mathematical concepts and logical reasoning; hence applicants will be required to answer a questionnaire to check their eligibility for pursuing the course. Based on the submissions, the top 500 candidates will be selected and will be informed directly," he said.
FutureSkills Prime will maintain the records of the selected candidates.
"Following successful completion of the course, candidates will have the opportunity to take the certification exam. Aspirants of 18 years of age and above will receive a joint certification by FutureSkills Prime and WhiteHat Jr," he said.
