The joint initiative is intended to equip 400,000 young individuals with the necessary skills to enhance their employability prospects.
The joint initiative is intended to equip 400,000 young individuals with the necessary skills to enhance their employability prospects.
The British Council joined forces with Microsoft India to introduce a transformative three-year partnership program called “English Skills for Youth.”
The joint initiative is intended to equip 400,000 young individuals with the necessary skills to enhance their employability prospects, according to a news release.
The partnership will center around the development and implementation of the English Skills for Youth program.
The three-year initiative seeks to provide young people, particularly women, aged 18-25, from socio-economically marginalized communities across India, with essential skills and training. It also aims to improve the employability skills of young individuals.
By jointly developing this program, Microsoft and British Council seek to provide students with one of the most sought-after skills in today’s job market which is the English language. Additionally, the program will equip beneficiaries with essential foundational skills, including collaboration, critical thinking, soft skills, and leadership abilities, fostering a comprehensive development plan for the youth.
“Enabling young people, particularly women, with life and employment opportunities is at the core of all our work in culture, education and English so we are delighted to announce the ‘English Skills for Youth’ program with Microsoft India,” said Alison Barrett MBE, Director India, British Council.
Lord Tariq Ahmad, minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, UN at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, expressed the goal of equipping India’s younger generation with the necessary skills to enhance their employment prospects and overall prosperity, with a particular focus on young women and girls.
The program will be integrated into rural engineering colleges, leveraging Microsoft’s existing NGO/partner skilling projects for underserved communities. The pilot phase, spanning three years, is projected to benefit 60,000 youth and 600 teachers.
With a long-term vision in mind, the ultimate goal is to reach an impressive 400,000 young individuals engaged in Microsoft Philanthropies funded projects.
With an intentional emphasis on women empowerment, the program strives to achieve a deliberate intake of 75 percent women learners.
Through the acquisition of English communication skills and the development of essential soft skills, they believe that program participants will be better equipped to present themselves confidently during job interviews and sustain employment within companies with a global customer base.
Navtez Bal, executive director of the Public Sector at Microsoft India, emphasized that bridging the skills gap is a fundamental aspect of promoting inclusive economic and societal progress in today’s digital economy.
“Beyond imparting digital skills, it is critical to provide holistic training content including soft skills to job seekers of tomorrow,” he said.
The British Council is a prominent UK organization that focuses on cultural relations and educational opportunities worldwide. With its extensive expertise in arts, culture, education, and the English language, the British Council operates in over 100 countries, engaging with diverse audiences through specialized projects and offering access to English language training and learning, as well as study opportunities in the UK.
