India, Bengaluru, September 27, 2023 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), today announced the signing of multiple Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its various departments to provide curated courses to empower youth in India with future-ready skills.  The collaboration will focus on the co-creation of curriculum and access to IBM's learning platform IBM SkillsBuild, for skilling learners across school education, higher education, and vocational skills on emerging technologies like AI (including generative AI), cybersecurity, cloud computing and professional development skills.

IBM’s collaboration with MoE and MSDE spans across three core levels of education:

• School Education: IBM will provide access to digital content from IBM SkillsBuild for high school students, teachers, and trainers on cutting-edge skills in schools identified by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) as well as NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling). This program will be offered online, via webinars and in-person workshops.
  In addition, IBM will refresh CBSE's AI curriculum for Grades 11 and 12, develop a cyber skilling and blockchain curriculum for high school students to be hosted on IBM SkillsBuild. 
   
• Higher Education: IBM will work closely with the Department of Higher Education, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT), National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training & Research (NITTTR), Chandigarh and state skilling missions to onboard affiliated students and faculty to IBM SkillsBuild and provide them access to digital content, experiential learning, and fresh skills enabling them to take on technical careers.
   
• Vocational Skills – IBM will continue its central collaboration with MSDE and work closely with the Directorate General of Training (DGT) and respective state vocational education and skilling departments to onboard, job seekers, including long-term unemployed, and school dropouts to IBM SkillsBuild and enable them to gain the technical and professional skills required to re-enter the workforce.

Speaking at the event, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “India, with its vast and youthful population, stands at the cusp of tremendous potential. To harness this demographic dividend, it is crucial to equip the youth with the necessary skills to excel in today’s modern workforce. This collaboration marks a significant stride toward our vision of a ‘Skilled India’ and in scaling up digital skills training and skill building in emerging technologies using IBM SkillsBuild platform.” He added, “These partnerships forged today will go a long way in making our learners harness the true potential of technology, making them future wealth creators and entrepreneurs of the society.”

“IBM’s collaboration with MoE and MSDE ushers in a new era of opportunities in our rapidly evolving digital landscape. We aim to empower India’s youth with the essential skills and knowledge to thrive in the digital age, encompassing cutting-edge technologies like AI and cloud computing. Simultaneously, we’re dedicated to fostering a well-rounded approach to skill development, ultimately creating a more versatile and adaptable workforce. We are confident that this collaboration will contribute significantly to India’s status as a digital talent hub,” said Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India/South Asia.

The growth of education focused on technology, digital, and emerging new short-term skills courses is a strategic imperative for the Government, industry, and academia. A recent study by IBM Institute of Business Value (IBV), the Augmented work for an automated, AI-driven world, states that surveyed executives in India estimate that implementing AI and automation will require more than 40% of their workforce to reskill over the next three years. IBM seeks to open technological resources and expertise to enable youth and job seekers to gain the technical and professional skills required to join or re-enter the workforce. To this end, this collaboration aims to create a robust education and skilling ecosystem in India that nurtures critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and next-generation innovators. This builds on IBM's existing commitment to skill 30 million people by 2030 to address the skills gap prevalent in today's global workforce.

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