The Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC) has partnered with online-learning platform Coursera to train 50,000 unemployed youth during the COVID-19 crisis. The partnership is part of Coursera’s global rollout of the ‘Workforce Recovery Initiative’, where any State or country can provide unemployed workers with free access to online learning.
“Over 4,000 courses on Coursera will be made available through the initiative. The courses are spread over eight sectors,” said V. Vishnu, managing director, TNSDC. “Those taking up the courses will also be provided professional certificates, like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate,” he said. The programme aims at developing high-demand skills like data science, cloud computing, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things among the youth.
“Tamil Nadu has been taking various initiatives to build a skilled workforce that companies around the world will find attractive to employ. The pandemic-induced slowdown is an opportunity for students and graduates seeking jobs and professionals aspiring for career growth to equip themselves with future skills,” Mr. Vishnu said.
Those interested in pursuing the courses can enroll by October 31. They will be given access to the lessons until the end of the year to complete the courses.
A virtual job fair
“We will look at expanding the course duration based on the response we get. We are working out a formula to see if we can also arrange a virtual job fair for those taking the courses,” he said.
“Employability and skilling have been major challenges around the world, and COVID-19 has made it worse,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO, Coursera. He added, “We are honoured to partner with the State, known for its innovative policies and rich talent pool, during a crucial phase of employment recovery.”
TNSDC was formed to transform the State into a skill hub, by training the youth to enhance their employability and match the expectations of the industry. Last year, TNSDC trained over 1.25 lakh persons across the State.