Centum Learning to set up campuses in 20 cities in India

Centum Learning, the education and training arm of Bharti group, is expanding its footprint in India by setting up skill development centres and mini-campuses for offering professional degrees to students. The company will cater to the entire spectrum of students from - low end to high end.

Centum Learning provides end-to-end learning and skill-building solutions to corporate and individuals. Its solutions range from learning process outsourcing, custom content development, training through blended learning programmes, executive coaching, performance coaching to process management and certification. It also focuses on building industry specific skills at the entry level for the service sector.

“At the low end, we will setup our own skill development centres in collaboration with the government. These will be in the public private partnership (PPP) mode. Mid level expansions comprise increasing the number of franchisee centres. At the high end, we plan to set up our mini campuses,” said Sanjeev Duggal, CEO, Centum Learning.

Though the company is still in the process of making plans, it will set up 20,000 square feet campuses in 20 cities with a focus on areas like hospitality and automobiles. As for franchisee centres, Centum will increase the number from current 150 in 86 cities in the country to 500 in the next three years. The skill development centres to be set up in PPP mode, will use government’s infrastructure but Centum’s curriculum.

In the skill-building domain, Centum Learning has set up more than 100 Centum Learning Centres (earlier known as Bharti Resources Learning Centres) spread across India, to provide higher order employability skills and bridge the existing talent gap in the service sector. Apart from setting up Centum Learning Centres, it has launched vertical specific programmes targeted at meeting the requirements of skilled manpower in many sectors of the industry. It endeavours to create Centum Learning Certification as a national standard for employment in the services sector.

Moreover, Centum also sees an increase in the number of students enrolled in its formal education programmes from current 6,000 to almost 10,000 in five years.

“Student strength has been increasing at 25-30 per cent every year as more and more students opt for formal degrees and vocational skills that can be learnt together,” added Duggal.