Microsoft partners with British Council to develop English skills of 400,000 young Indians – The Indian Express
British Council and Microsoft India have entered into a three-year partnership programme called ‘English Skills for Youth’ aimed at empowering young people, particularly women, in socio-economically disadvantaged communities across India. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two organisations highlights the objective of enhancing employability opportunities for youth aged 18-25.
The primary focus of the ‘English Skills for Youth’ project is to equip students with proficiency in English. Additionally, the programme will provide them with essential skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, soft skills, and leadership abilities, offering a comprehensive development plan.
According to the press release, India witnesses approximately one million individuals entering the workforce each month. However, the employment rate among women of working age remains low, ranging from 10-20%. This initiative aims to address this gender divide by deliberately enrolling 75% of women learners and resultantly bridging the gap in the workplace.
The ‘English Skills for Youth’ solution will be integrated into rural engineering colleges that are already associated with Microsoft’s NGO/partner skilling projects for underserved communities. This innovative approach seeks to benefit 60,000 youth and 600 teachers during the initial three-year pilot phase. Furthermore, the long-term objective is to engage 400,000 young people through Microsoft Philanthropies-funded projects.
The programme will focus on developing English communication skills and soft skills, enabling students to confidently present themselves in job interviews and thrive in companies with a global customer base.
The project encompasses three key aspects. Firstly, it aims to enhance the capacity of English faculty and placement officers in state engineering colleges across India. Secondly, it will facilitate the development of English skills for students, especially women, through a community-of-practice approach, utilising student club meetings. Lastly, the initiative will establish an interface with industry by organising joint thought leadership forums, led by Microsoft and the British Council, focusing on multilingualism in the workplace.
