Cisco And NSDC Partner To Upskill Indians In The Digital Skills

Cisco Networking Academy and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) have partnered to address the shortage of a tech-proficient workforce in India and create career opportunities for millions in the digital economy.

The partnership will offer access to the Cisco Networking Academy courses through NSDC’s eSkill India platform, to provide comprehensive digital skills critical for the digital-first world. The demand for technical talent continues to outpace supply, and as an example, Cybersecurity demand is expected to increase five times over the next four years in India. The partnership aims to enable free access to an industry-relevant global curriculum and content in Networking, Cybersecurity, Programming, the Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Essentials, and Linux. The Networking Academy offers courses to help develop foundational Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills needed to design, build and manage networks, along with soft skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking. The courses are open to all and will prepare candidates for entry-level ICT jobs, help them pursue additional training or education, and earn globally recognized certification. 

eSkill India is an e-learning aggregator portal from NSDC that brings together digital learning resources through various Indian and global knowledge partnerships. It enables access to the best-in-class learning resources for the Indian youth. Presently, the portal catalogues over 1,200 digital courses from its partners, and 4000+ additional courses are connected through affiliate channels across various sectors in multiple languages, providing learners with the technology and skills needed to prosper in a rapidly transforming digital world. 

Commenting on the partnership, Ms. Vandana Bhatnagar, Chief Program Officer, National Skill Development Corporation said, “NSDC endeavours to build a tech-enabled workforce to meet the evolving needs of the new-age work environment.  This partnership underscores a mutual commitment to make digital skilling accessible to all.”

Harish Krishnan, Managing Director, Public Affairs and Strategic Engagements at Cisco India said, "India's demand for a digitally skilled workforce is expected to increase nine-fold by 2025. As we march steadily towards a digital economy, we need no less than a skilling revolution to bridge this considerable gap. This partnership with NSDC aims to upskill the existing talent in emerging technologies to drive innovation, accelerate growth, and transform India into a Digital Talent Nation."

About National Skill Development Corporation

National Skill Development Corporation, working under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, is a unique public-private-partnership which aims to catalyze creation of quality vocational training ecosystem in India. Since inception in 2010, NSDC has trained more than 2.5 crore people through its partnership with 600+ training partners, 11,000+ training centers spread over 600+ districts across the country. NSDC has established 36 Sector Skill Councils and is implementing Government's flagship skill development schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), among others.

About eSkill India

NSDC's eSkill India is an elearning aggregator portal that provides learners with a platform to explore online skill-courses anytime, anywhere. The portal leverages technology to enable skill seekers accelerate their learning through methods like virtual learning and remote classroom. Having crossed one million enrolments across 10 Indian languages, eSkillIndia offers over 16 lakh minutes of high-quality digital content that spans various industry sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, telecommunication, retail, pharmaceutical, banking and finance, electronics and information technology. For more, visit https://eskillindia.org 

About CISCO

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About Cisco Networking Academy

Cisco Networking Academy is guided by its vision to empower all people with career possibilities by transforming the lives of learners, educators, and communities through the power of technology, education and career opportunities. Networking Academy is the largest and longest running corporate social responsibility education program, operates in up to 27 languages across 180 countries in nearly 12 thousand academies around the world, and has trained more than 12.6 million learners with 95 percent globally either going onto higher education or getting a job.