BANGALORE: It is one of the largest exercises in re-skilling employees underway in the country. The Indian Army has launched a vocational training programme in association with global software maker Microsoft Corporation to equip over a million jawans with viable skills for a second career when they retire from service.
The initiatives are clubbed under the umbrella Project ‘Samarth’, meaning capable, which has a number of subsidiary projects under it. One such initiative is Project Kshamta designed by Microsoft which offers basic IT training skills through an initial network of 1000 master trainers.
“The training module created by Microsoft is backed by certification from reputed institutions such as Educomp and arrangements are also being made to help individuals secure a job post retirement”, said Chandan Lal, Director Projects, Army Headquarters.
The reskilling is part of an overall initiative to improve employability of junior army personnel who have limited options post retirement and largely end up with jobs in areas such as security services, as they lack soft skills, English language ability and have little knowledge of information technology.
The majority of Indian jawans retire below age 40, leaving them with at least twenty more years of gainful employment.
“ Before joining the new education initiative of the Army, I was unaware of the IT skills. I realised the need of developing the skills that go beyond the battlefield. Without these skills you can’t get job in civil as well as government sector”, says 41 year old Havaldar Mohan Kumar .
This is the first engagement ever for Microsoft with defence forces for IT skilling programmes. “The objective is to upgrade the skills and give them some kind of certification. We are also working with the Army to set up IT academies , for training Army personnel in IT courses of various levels. Microsoft will provide a lot of e-learning courses and software. And make the education model more sustainable”, said Irina Ghose, director-education public sector, Microsoft. The project which is under a year old is also focused on creating a growing pool of master trainers.
The reskilling is part of an overall initiative to improve employability of junior army personnel who have limited options post retirement and largely end up with jobs in areas such as security services, as they lack soft skills, English language ability and have little knowledge of information technology.
The majority of Indian jawans retire below age 40, leaving them with at least twenty more years of gainful employment.
“ Before joining the new education initiative of the Army, I was unaware of the IT skills. I realised the need of developing the skills that go beyond the battlefield. Without these skills you can’t get job in civil as well as government sector”, says 41 year old Havaldar Mohan Kumar .
This is the first engagement ever for Microsoft with defence forces for IT skilling programmes.
“The objective is to upgrade the skills and give them some kind of certification. We are also working with the Army to set up IT academies , for training Army personnel in IT courses of various levels. Microsoft will provide a lot of e-learning courses and software. And make the education model more sustainable”, said Irina Ghose, director-education public sector, Microsoft. The project which is under a year old is also focused on creating a growing pool of master trainers.
The initiatives are clubbed under the umbrella Project ‘Samarth’, meaning capable, which has a number of subsidiary projects under it. One such initiative is Project Kshamta designed by Microsoft which offers basic IT training skills through an initial network of 1000 master trainers.
“The training module created by Microsoft is backed by certification from reputed institutions such as Educomp and arrangements are also being made to help individuals secure a job post retirement”, said Chandan Lal, Director Projects, Army Headquarters.
The reskilling is part of an overall initiative to improve employability of junior army personnel who have limited options post retirement and largely end up with jobs in areas such as security services, as they lack soft skills, English language ability and have little knowledge of information technology.
The majority of Indian jawans retire below age 40, leaving them with at least twenty more years of gainful employment.
“ Before joining the new education initiative of the Army, I was unaware of the IT skills. I realised the need of developing the skills that go beyond the battlefield. Without these skills you can’t get job in civil as well as government sector”, says 41 year old Havaldar Mohan Kumar .
This is the first engagement ever for Microsoft with defence forces for IT skilling programmes. “The objective is to upgrade the skills and give them some kind of certification. We are also working with the Army to set up IT academies , for training Army personnel in IT courses of various levels. Microsoft will provide a lot of e-learning courses and software. And make the education model more sustainable”, said Irina Ghose, director-education public sector, Microsoft. The project which is under a year old is also focused on creating a growing pool of master trainers.
The reskilling is part of an overall initiative to improve employability of junior army personnel who have limited options post retirement and largely end up with jobs in areas such as security services, as they lack soft skills, English language ability and have little knowledge of information technology.
The majority of Indian jawans retire below age 40, leaving them with at least twenty more years of gainful employment.
“ Before joining the new education initiative of the Army, I was unaware of the IT skills. I realised the need of developing the skills that go beyond the battlefield. Without these skills you can’t get job in civil as well as government sector”, says 41 year old Havaldar Mohan Kumar .
This is the first engagement ever for Microsoft with defence forces for IT skilling programmes.
“The objective is to upgrade the skills and give them some kind of certification. We are also working with the Army to set up IT academies , for training Army personnel in IT courses of various levels. Microsoft will provide a lot of e-learning courses and software. And make the education model more sustainable”, said Irina Ghose, director-education public sector, Microsoft. The project which is under a year old is also focused on creating a growing pool of master trainers.
