Microsoft to train 1.62 lakh youth to connect them with jobs of future

VIJAYAWADA: The AP government, Department of Higher Education (APHeD) and Microsoft on Friday announced a strategic partnership to train 1,62,000 students and unemployed youth in 300 colleges and skill development centres in the state. This first-of-its-kind partnership aimed at providing a holistic skill development solution, empowering the youth with next generation digital skills. 

Microsoft will collaborate with APHeD to create a holistic and scalable skilling experience that includes access to learning content on Microsoft’s learning resource centre, Microsoft Learn, educational webinars, experiential learning through hands-on lab exercises and industry certification courses from Microsoft and LinkedIn. 

Additionally, every learner will receive a free $100 Azure credit for practical experiential learning, test preparation and certification to become a ‘Microsoft certified professional’. Over 40 courses and certifications will be made available to students on Microsoft Learn, covering a broad range of emerging technologies such as cloud computing, AI, data sciences, IOT and M365, among others. To enhance their employability, students and youth will also get access to over 8,600 courses on LinkedIn Learning to develop not just their technical skills but also their business knowledge and soft skills. 

Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said, “Digital skilling is a fundamental building block for making India self-reliant and empowering everyone to succeed in a digital economy. We are deeply invested in creating a digital skills ecosystem that prepares India’s workforce for jobs of the future. Our partnership with the Government of AP, which has been a strong advocate of digital transformation of education, is a significant step in this direction.” 

Skill Development and IT Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy said that Microsoft will be partnering with the Skill development, training and education departments to increase the employment opportunities in the state.