ICT Academy and PayPal Launch Student Enablement Program

ICT Academy, supported by PayPal, has launched the second iteration of the "Student Enablement Program" at KLE Society’s Degree College, Nagarbhavi, Bengaluru. This initiative aims to impart advanced IT skills to students, with the goal of benefiting 3,400 students across engineering, arts, and science institutions in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka. The program specifically targets providing crucial development opportunities for women and underprivileged youth. Upon completion, it is anticipated that 70% of the participants will secure job placements in various IT companies.

The inauguration of this groundbreaking program took place at Vignana Bharathi Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, in the presence of over 500+ students.

ICT Academy (www.ictacademy.in) is an initiative of the Government of India in collaboration with the state Governments and Industries. ICT Academy is a not-for-profit society, the first of its kind pioneer venture under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model that endeavours to train the higher education teachers and students thereby exercises on developing the next generation teachers and industry ready students.

In a statement, Srividya Rajagopalan, Senior Director – Data Science, PayPal expressed, “Building on the success of our inaugural Student Enablement Program with ICT Academy in 2022, we’re proud to expand the initiative to impact 35% more students this year. Education can be crucial to breaking the poverty cycle for underrepresented groups and enabling a more inclusive community. As an innovator in the payments industry and a leading employer in India, we remain committed to enabling the success of women and underprivileged youth by strengthening their work readiness with industry-relevant skills building”. 

Suresh Babu L, Associate Vice President of ICT Academy, emphasized, "Technology has become intrinsic to every business. As technology evolves rapidly, nurturing people's skills becomes pivotal for employment and national economic growth. ICT Academy is steadfast in building a sustainable skill ecosystem from the grassroots level. We achieve this by collaborating with corporations, governments, and academia. Our partnership with PayPal signifies a leap towards serving deserving members of society. This program will enable disadvantaged students to gain expertise in the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution, widely adopted by industries worldwide." Key features of the program include 140 hours of IT and professional skills training, upskilling 100 faculty members in advanced technologies to mentor students, assessments for trained students, certification, placement support, and additional skill enhancement activities for students.

Dr. Parvati Angadi, Coordinator – BCA of KLE Society’s Degree College, delivered the welcome address, emphasizing the significance of this partnership.

This renewed partnership between ICT Academy and PayPal is poised to create a lasting impact on underprivileged youth, equipping them with the requisite skills and knowledge to thrive in today's competitive world.