Infosys’ philanthropic and CSR arm is aiming to help a Tamil Nadu non-profit organisation increase the employability of young learners in rural India. Infosys Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ICT Academy to enable students pursuing engineering, arts and science courses in Tier 2 and 3 cities across the country gain relevant skills for career development. It has committed a grant of Rs 33 crore towards the project. 

The IT bellwether informed the bourses that the foundation will help establish ‘Centers of Excellence for Women and Youth Empowerment’ in over 450 colleges in India. These centres will act as the hub for skill development and training of these students online and offline. 

The initiative will aim to skill 48,000 student over a period of three years in IT, banking, financial 
services and insurance, retail, e-commerce, logistics, knowledge process outsourcing (KPO), and soft skills. 

Meanwhile, shares of IT major Infosys Ltd were trading lower in Wednesday's trade. The stock was last seen trading 0.41 per cent lower at Rs 1,614.35. At this price, it has gained 21.09 per cent on a year-to-date (YTD) basis.

The curriculum, it said, will include 80 hours of training in core skills, 20 hours of training in soft skills, placement facilitation and other activities including, youth empowerment summits, and coding practice for real-world problems.

The initiative will also leverage Infosys Springboard, the company’s flagship digital learning platform to make the programme more accessible to students.

Sumit Virmani, Trustee, Infosys Foundation, said, “We are confident that this initiative will encourage our youth to excel  across disciplines of their choice and create sustainable careers.”

With a rapidly evolving industry, the demand for workforce skilled in IT, KPO, BFSI, Retail, e-commerce, and logistics has also expanded. “According to a recent report, India's IT industry alone is projected to generate over 2 million new jobs by 2027. This initiative by Infosys Foundation is not just about meeting the immediate needs of the job market; it's about investing in the long-term career success of 48,000 students over the next three years. For graduating students, this translates to enhanced employability and greater career opportunities,” said V Srikanth, Chief Executive Officer, ICT Academy.