What we did as a NASSCOM Foundation Partner to enthuse students to take up careers in futuristic technologies

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Synopsis: Skills such as Cybersecurity, AI, Big Data are the future of information technology. There is a huge need for trained resources in these domains for the future growth of our country, companies and individuals. With this objective, a Fortune 500 technology company in association with NASSCOM Foundation launched a massive awareness program across India. Six new futuristic skills were introduced to the students from engineering and nonengineering streams to discover their area of interest and enable them to obtain further certification from Future Prime Skills program, offered by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology and NASSCOM. The intervention had a mix of learning, events, and competitions from which the best of the ideas are being nurtured to see potential for scale up into products and services.

The Situation: There is a significant drop in the quality of exposure of students who graduate out of Tier 2 and Tier 3 campuses, especially from small towns when compared to Tier 1 campuses. Our client wanted to expose students from such campuses to cutting edge technologies and enthuse them about considering a career in these domains. They wanted to also tap into the student’s enthusiasm and innovative capabilities to solve problems using technology in areas that are aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that India is a signatory to. We were appointed as the implementation partner to drive this initiative among engineering and non-engineering students across eight states in India.

The Solution: A total of 34 colleges, which are B and C accredited, were selected across India to enroll 7,500 students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The program was conducted in a webinar format with industry experts sharing their knowledge in the areas of Cybersecurity, AI, ML, Big Data, UI UX, and Cloud Computing. Post this, students were tasked to select one or more of the technology areas and complete certification in the Future Prime Skills program. To keep them excited about using their knowledge and skills in the real world, an innovative event, Ideathon was launched. Students built solutions for public use using technology, which were evaluated by a team of experts in this area.

The Impact: In all, 7,531 students got certified in atleast one of the skill areas. 8 of the ideas that came up in Ideathon are being explored for commercial launch, supported by leading industrial groups and investors. Seeing the success of this initiative, student enthusiasm and the lack of modern IT infrastructure in some of the campuses, the client invested in setting up Digital Labs in 9 of the participating ‘women only’ engineering colleges. These labs are expected to help not just these women students scale up on IT; they are also expected to act as a hub for faculty development on emerging technologies for non-engineering colleges in the catchment area.

Addressing Skill Gaps

Many industries face a mismatch between the skills that job seekers possess and those that employers need. By supporting skilling initiatives, corporates ensure a steady pipeline of talent that is equipped with relevant and up-to-date skills.

Future-Proofing the Workforce

As technology and industries evolve, the demand for new skills increases. Corporate support for continuous skilling helps to future-proof the workforce, ensuring that employees remain competitive in a rapidly changing job market.

Enhanced Employee Morale and Retention

Companies that invest in the skilling and development of their employees often see higher levels of job satisfaction and retention. This reduces turnover costs and builds a more committed workforce.

Innovation and Competitiveness

A skilled workforce drives innovation and competitiveness within a company. By supporting skilling as a CSR cause, companies can ensure they have access to the talent needed to stay ahead in their industry.

Community Development

Skilling initiatives can lead to the development of more self-reliant communities. When individuals are equipped with the skills to secure meaningful employment, they contribute more effectively to the local economy and society.

Reducing Social Issues

By providing people with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce, companies can help reduce social issues such as poverty, crime, and dependency on welfare.

Empowering Marginalized Communities

Skilling programs often target underserved and marginalized communities, providing them with opportunities for economic empowerment. This promotes inclusive growth and reduces inequality.

Gender Equality and Diversity

Corporate-supported skilling initiatives can focus on promoting gender equality and diversity by encouraging the participation of women and underrepresented groups in high-demand sectors.

Positive Social Impact

Supporting skilling initiatives demonstrates a company’s commitment to social responsibility and community development. This can enhance the company’s reputation, making it more attractive to customers, investors, and potential employees.

Brand Loyalty

Consumers are increasingly favoring brands that demonstrate social responsibility. Companies that invest in skilling as a CSR cause are likely to build stronger brand loyalty and customer trust.

Enhancing Workforce Quality

By investing in skilling programs, companies help create a more skilled and capable workforce. This contributes to overall economic growth by improving productivity and innovation within the industry.

Reducing Unemployment

Skilling initiatives can reduce unemployment rates by equipping individuals with the necessary skills to secure jobs, particularly in industries facing skill shortages.

Challenge

One-time training interventions lead to poor retention in the frontline.

Training Intervention

A Continuous Learning Journey combines digital learning with trainer support, providing ongoing, personalized development. This model uses multiple touchpoints to address individual performance gaps, ensuring continuous skill improvement and real-time application. By focusing on personalized learning paths, it drives long-term growth and measurable results, empowering employees to adapt and excel.

Challenge

Large companies with large frontline workforces require extensive trainer teams.

Training Intervention

Trainer Augmentation offers a scalable solution by outsourcing your trainer capacity. This model allows you to quickly scale your training efforts without overburdening your internal resources. By bringing in experienced, external trainers, you ensure consistent, high-quality training delivery while freeing up internal teams to focus on strategic priorities. It’s an ideal solution when you need to meet growing training demands or launch new initiatives without compromising on quality or capacity.

Challenge

Uniform training for all employees fails to address performance disparities.

Training Intervention

Analytics-driven, cohort-based training identifies skill gaps using performance data. By segmenting employees into cohorts based on performance, organizations can tailor training to address specific needs, driving higher engagement and measurable improvements. This targeted approach ensures that training is effective, efficient, and aligned with actual performance challenges.

Challenge

Supervisors prioritize high performers, leaving low performers unsupported and underdeveloped.

Training Intervention

Sustenance Training offers a blended, on-the-job approach to skill development, addressing gaps in supervisor bandwidth and ensuring consistent employee growth. By combining structured learning modules with real-time support, this program provides targeted training for all employees, including those who need additional guidance. It empowers the workforce to build skills, improve productivity, and thrive, fostering balanced development across teams.

Challenge

L&D teams cut induction training due to limited capacity/expertise.

Training Intervention

Role Induction Training delivers a structured onboarding experience during the first 7-10 days. Combining company culture, policies, and values with tailored role-specific training, it equips new hires with the skills to contribute effectively from day one. This program bridges gaps in training capacity, ensuring a seamless and productive induction process..