New Delhi: British Council and Microsoft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a co-developed three-year partnership programme, ‘English Skills for Youth’ to enhance the employment prospects of 4 lakh Indian youths, majorly women.
The newly launched programme aims to enhance the life opportunities of young people, aged 18-25, particularly women, in socio-economically marginalised communities across India. The primary objective of the ‘English Skills for Youth’ project is to enhance employability opportunities for the youth. This programme will be integrated into rural engineering colleges linked to Microsoft’s existing NGO/partner skilling projects for the underserved, stated an official press release issued by British Council.
The project seeks to benefit 60,000 youth and 600 teachers during the initial 3-year pilot phase, with a goal of reaching 400,000 young people engaged in Microsoft Philanthropies-funded projects. The programme will focus on building English communication skills and soft skills to equip students to present themselves confidently at job interviews and/or sustain their jobs in companies with a global customer base.
This partnership will promote inclusivity and provide opportunities for socio-economically underserved youth, with a special focus on English language skills for the employability of women, read the press statement.