Bengaluru: Infosys Foundation, the charitable arm of Infosys Ltd, has partnered with ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu, a non-profit organization, to skill 48,000 students over three years in various fields. The training will cover IT, banking, financial services and insurance, retail, e-commerce, logistics, knowledge process outsourcing, and soft skills.

Infosys Foundation has pledged over Rs 33 crore for this initiative, according to a statement released on Wednesday. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with ICT Academy to enhance the employability of young learners in rural India.

“This collaboration aims to equip students pursuing engineering, arts, and science courses in tier 2 and tier 3 cities across the country with the skills necessary for career development,” the statement said.

Through the MoU, Infosys Foundation will help establish ‘Centres of Excellence for Women and Youth Empowerment’ in over 450 colleges in India. These centers will serve as hubs for skill development and training, both online and offline, and will facilitate job placements. The curriculum will include 80 hours of core skills training, 20 hours of soft skills training, placement facilitation for certified students, and activities such as youth empowerment summits and coding practice for real-world problems.

Additionally, the initiative will utilize ‘Infosys Springboard’, Infosys’ flagship digital learning platform, to make learning and skilling more accessible to students.