IBM in talks with states to expand 'SkillBuild' initiative in India

IT company IBM on Wednesday said it is in talks with several states in India to expand its 'SkillsBuild' initiative.

The company has unveiled a global plan to provide 30 million people of all ages with new skills needed for the future jobs by 2030.

"Today, IBM commits to providing 30 million people with new skills by 2030. This will help democratize opportunity, fill the growing skills gap, and give new generations of workers the tools they need to build a better future for themselves and society," IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna said in a statement.

To achieve the goal, IBM had announced a road map with more than 170 new academic and industry partnerships.

IBM India and South Asia head for corporate social responsibility Manoj Balachandran said that as part of the 'SkillsBuild' initiative, IBM has partnered with several state governments for their skills initiatives - state government of Goa, Sikkim, AP, Telangana and now with Haryana.

"There are several other states where we are having talks for partnerships. Apart from SkillsBuild, we also have MoUs signed with 11 state governments for the STEM for Girls program where we are currently teaching over 300,000 students," Balachandran said.

IBM said it will continue the partnerships in India with Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (DST), CBSE , Skill Development Councils in Goa, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, NPTEL- IIT-Madras etc through its implementing partners to upskill youth from across the country.

The company last month partnered with the Haryana State Board of Technical Education and Uttar Pradesh SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) for its skill development initiative.