NEW DELHI: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and WhatsApp launched their Digital Skill Champions program on Thursday, which aims to train Indian youth in digital skills to make them employable.
The partnership identifies two broad areas of collaboration – the WhatsApp Digital Skills Academy and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) and WhatsApp Business App training sessions.
This program would coach high school and university students to develop digital and online skills, culminating in the award of the Digital Skill Champions certification through WhatsApp and NSDC.
The course is based on a module format, is comprehensive and intensive in conveying knowledge about important aspects of the online ecosystem and enables students to learn technology-based learning on campus in the cities of Tier III and IV of the country.
Shivanth Thukral, director of WhatsApp India (Public Policy), said the company wants to be a “credible digital ally” to bring various solutions such as education and financial services to the last mile.
“With more than 400 million users in the country, I think that we absolutely have to accept qualifications as a challenge. Our product philosophy of staying simple, reliable and safe helps with the solution on a large scale, ”he said in a virtual event. and example cited of partnerships with Kolkata Municipal Corporation and HDFC.
As India embraces digital innovation and entrepreneurship, it is imperative that today’s youth be made aware and educated on how to get educated and how to take their online presence into their own hands, he added.
“We do not want to become the owner of this domain, but we want to become an equal partner for everyone in this domain. Whether state, private sector or public-private partnership, we strive for scaling throughout the country through partnership, that is our approach. (We are) a digital ally of this country and we are doing whatever is good for India in terms of WhatsApp and the app family, “he noted.
Thukral said that through this partnership, WhatsApp is committed to improving the digital skills of emerging entrepreneurs and empowering our country’s youth to create a safe digital environment for all.
As part of the WhatsApp Digital Skills Academy, young people from Tier III and IV cities are trained in critical aspects of digital security and online data protection.
The initiative will begin with a pilot project at 50 locations in five states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The program is conveyed through WhatsApp’s project implementation partner, InfiSpark.
As part of PMKK and WhatsApp Business App Training, WhatsApp will conduct training courses to familiarize the trainers of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra with the WhatsApp Business App.
India has approximately 15 million monthly users of its business app in India and more than 50 million users worldwide.
“In a rapidly evolving digital world, NSDC aims to expand the scope of virtual learning for youth across India. The aim is to teach young people new skills to make them employable and more productive in their work environment. This is a great time to create jobs because we are essentially on a technology curve that is rapidly changing and therefore creating many new opportunities, “said Manish Kumar, managing director and chief executive officer, NSDC.
