VIJAYAWADA: Microsoft is collaborating with Government of Andhra Pradesh in imparting digital skills to 1.62 lakh students and unemployed youth across 300 plus colleges and skill development centres in the state.
Announcing this, IT minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy pointed out that for the purpose, AP government has entered into an MoU with IT giant Microsoft to skill up students and youth, so that they become employable by various companies due to their additional qualifications.
He underlined that Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy wants every house to be “digitally connected”. About 80 lakh houses will be provided with digital connection in three years.
The minister said the focus will be on “remote learning”, a major challenge during the Covid times. He disclosed that efforts are being made to provide computers and laptops to 1.30 crore people in the state.
Microsoft India president Anant Maheshwari said their vision is to build an inclusive, skills-based economy in the state. For the purpose, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Department of Higher Education (APHeD) and Microsoft have entered into a strategic partnership to create a holistic and scalable skilling experience that includes access to learning content on Microsoft Learn, educational webinars, and experiential learning, apart from hands-on lab exercises and industry certifications courses.
Anant announced that every learner will get free $100 Azure credit for practical experiential learning, test preparation and certification to become a Microsoft Certified Professional. He pointed out that over 40 courses and certifications will be made available to students on Microsoft Learn, covering a broad range of emerging technologies, such as cloud computing, AI, data sciences, IOT and M365, among others. To enhance their employability, students and youth will also get access to over 8,600 courses on LinkedIn Learning. This will help them develop not just their technical skills but also their business knowledge and soft skills.
