Microsoft will provide learning modules and certifications through its learning platform, Microsoft Learn.

Microsoft has launched an internship programme, Future Ready Talent to teach technology skills to make today’s youth job-ready. Willing candidates must be in their second year of college or above. The programme is open to students who will graduate in 2022, 2023, or have graduated in 2021 across specialisations.

The programme aims to impact over 1.5 lakh students and make them employable between 2022-2024. The registration process for the first batch began on 15 September. The program is free of cost and no stipend is provided to the students.

Microsoft has collaborated with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), FutureSkills Prime — a NASSCOM, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Ernst & Young (EY), GitHub, and Quess Corp to launch the internship programme.

Microsoft will provide learning modules and certifications through its learning platform, Microsoft Learn, skilling students on topics like cloud computing, data science, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. AICTE will ensure the curriculum is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

NASSCOM will provide alignment of relevant courses to the National Occupational Standards, linking these courses on FutureSkills Prime while EY will provide technology and mentorship to the students throughout the internship. GitHub will provide students with free access to the developer tools. Meanwhile, Quess Corp will manage the learner experience and host a virtual career fair for the participants.

“The Future Ready Talent program offers students a unique opportunity to be job ready, by focusing on skills that will be in-demand in the future, like cloud computing, data and AI and cybersecurity. With a clear focus to empower our youth, this program which brings together technology leaders like Microsoft with strong industry participation, will play a key role in reducing the skills gap in India," says Dr Buddha Chandrashekhar, Chief Coordinating Officer, AICTE.