Shell, Microsoft partner to offer digital skills to non-IT students

Microsoft on Wednesday said that it has collaborated with Shell India, the Indian subsidiary of Shell group of companies, to impart digital skills to students in vocational education institutions. 

The project aims to enable 5,000 underserved youth across 24 government institutes with digital productivity and employability skills and prepare them for digital careers in the manufacturing and energy sectors.  

Emerging technologies are changing the nature of jobs and redefining the scope of productivity in every sector, the companies said in a joint statement. Job roles across sectors that typically did not require digital skills earlier demand foundational digital skills to adapt with new requirements, it added. 

“This collaboration between Shell and Microsoft will help create a future-ready workforce and open new avenues of learning and job opportunities for students in Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) and polytechnic colleges,” Latika Taneja, Head of Corporate Relations, Shell India, said in a statement.  

The company also said that the first phase of the programme will focus on creating awareness about the digital employment opportunities across Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, to enable livelihood opportunities for students in ITI and polytechnic trades such as electrician, electrical engineering, fashion designing, and more.  

“In today’s digital-driven economy, it is critical to equip the youth in vocational education, especially in non-IT trades with digital skills to meet the demands of the rapidly transforming sectors. We are excited to join forces with Shell on this crucial initiative empowering skills for jobs and look forward to making a positive impact on the youth of India,” said Gunjan Patel, Director, Microsoft Philanthropies India.  

Further, the initiative will support the enhancement of digital learning labs at these institutes and build the capacity of faculty members to sustain the outcomes of the program. SRF Foundation will deploy the programme in each of the states and provide 240 hours of training, which includes modules on data analytics and sustainability at the workplace, the company said.