Tamil Nadu Partners with Coursera to Upskill 50,000 Unemployed Youth During COVID-19
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC), created with a vision to transform the state into skill hub by skilling the youth, has partnered with Coursera, the world’s leading online learning platform, to train 50,000 unemployed youth during the COVID-19 crisis. The partnership is part of Coursera’s global roll-out of the Workforce Recovery Initiative, where any state and country can provide unemployed workers with free access to online learning.
The government of Tamil Nadu, through TNSDC, has been proactive in improving the employability of its youth by investing in skills of the future. TNSDC is making 4,000 courses on Coursera available to 50,000 unemployed youths across the state through this partnership. The program aims to develop high-demand skills like data science, cloud computing, blockchain, AI, and the Internet of Things. It will also include access to highly sought after professional certificates like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, designed to train people with no tech background for IT jobs.
“Tamil Nadu has been taking various initiatives to build a skilled workforce that companies around the world find attractive to employ. The present pandemic induced slowdown is an opportunity for students and graduates seeking jobs as well as professionals who are aspiring for a career growth, to equip themselves in future skills,” said V Vishnu, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation. “We are excited to work with Coursera to train our youth in the latest digital skills,” he added.
“Employability and skilling is a major challenge around the world, and COVID-19 has made it worse.,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO Coursera. “We are honored to partner with the State of Tamil Nadu, known for its innovative policies and rich talent pool, during a crucial phase of employment recovery.”
The workforce initiative is part of the Coursera for Government offering launched in 2017 to equip government employees and citizens with in-demand skills. With this launch, the State of Tamil Nadu joins countries around the world that are using Coursera to offer job-relevant online learning to unemployed workers.
Learners can enroll in the courses offered through the initiative by October 31, 2020, and will have access until the end of the year to complete the courses.