AP partners with Microsoft to train 1.62 lakh students

Visakhapatnam, April 24 In a significant initiative, the Department of Higher Education of Andhra Pradesh has come to an understanding with Microsoft to train 1.62 lakh students and unemployed youth f4om over 300 colleges and skill development centers to improve their job quotient.

This first-of-its-kind partnership aiming to provide a holistic skilling solution, is expected to empower the youth with next generation digital skills. As per the MoU, Microsoft will collaborate with the Department of Higher Education to create a holistic and scalable skilling experience that includes access to learning content on Microsoft's learning resource center, Microsoft Learn, educational webinars, experiential learning through hands-on lab exercises. It will also facilitate industry certifications courses from Microsoft and LinkedIn.

A release issued by the government stated that the initiative would provide every learner under the project 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 8600 courses on LinkedIn Learning to develop not just their technical skills but also their business knowledge and soft skills.

The release quoted Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, as saying: "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."

He said their partnership with the Government of AP, which has been a strong advocate of digital transformation of education is a significant step in this direction.

He said "we are committed to empowering the youth of AP with the skills and learning paths needed to connect them more readily with new job opportunities."

Commenting over the initiative, Minister for Skill Development and IT Mekapati Goutham Reddy said the agreement signed with Microsoft would increase employment opportunities in the State. He said Microsoft had agreed to train and provide certifications to 1.62 lakh youth.