IBM, Arunachal education dept to upskill over 13K girls across 15 districts

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and the Arunachal Pradesh education department have collaborated to upskill 13,500 girls studying between 8th and 10th grade. 

The initiative is an expansion of IBM’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) For Girls program that aims to upskill 30 million people worldwide by 2030, the company said in a statement. 

A total of 130 secondary and higher secondary schools across 15 districts of the state have been tapped for the program, IBM said. 

The training will include exposure to digital fluency, coding skills training, along with life and career skills. 

Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India, said, “Through our IBM STEM For Girls initiative, we are reaching out to students beyond metros to offer a holistic knowledge development program, training in new-age technologies, and help girls make informed career choices with the input of mentors from." 

Furthermore, IBM has also revealed that students will be able to access curricula in multiple settings, including via IBM SkillsBuild, which provides learners with coursework that provides introductions to foundational technologies used in many industries, such as cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence. 

Padmini Singla, IAS, Secretary-Education, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, said, “The state will continue to focus on improving foundational literacy and numeracy, early childhood care and education, governance and digital education and emphasise on improving vocational and teacher education.”