Pearson, IIHT in pact

Edexcel, a Pearson company which is a large awarding body offering academic and vocational qualifications in the UK, and Indian Insittute of Hardware Technology (IIHT) have entered into a strategic partnership. IIHT is a technology training organisation in infrastructure management system (IMS).

The partnership will enable IIHT to offer customised Edexel BTEC Higher National Diploma in Hardware Technology programme. The work-related qualification is expected to create a job-ready skilled talent pool to meet needs of employers. The programme is imparted through 1,200 hours of skill-based training, said Vivek Govil, president & CEO, Pearson Education. The partnership allows Pearson to offer the same programme in the 15 or so countries where IIHT has its presence.

The IMS is a $524 billion market globally and growing at 35 per cent and is projected to offer over 200,000 jobs by the end of 2010.

IMS can be offered as onsite or offshore or as a hybrid model.

Pearson has over 80 such educational tieups going in the country today. But, most of the programmes offered are through the brick and mortar model, added Govil. Pearson Education has till now invested over $30 million in India in acquiring a stake in Tutorvista and in a joint venture with Educomp Solutions, IndiaCan. While it acquired a 50 per cent stake in Educomp Solution’s vocational training business for $17.5 million, it has bought a 17.2 per cent stake in the Bangalore-based online tutoring firm TutorVista for $12.5 million.