Meditronic And Government Of Kerala's Additional Skill Acquisition Pprogramme Sign MOU To Advance Skill Development In Kerala

* Medtronic is the Only MedTech Company to Engage in this Partnership with ASAP

* Goal of Providing 12-Month Internship Opportunities for Qualified Students

India Medtronic Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) – the world’s largest medical technology, services, and solutions company – today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Government of Kerala’s promoted Section 8 Company, Additional Skill Acquisition Programme Kerala (ASAP), to equip final year students with advanced skill sets and improve overall employability within the healthcare industry.

Under this program, ASAP will continue to provide and implement skill development programmes for youth through its Advanced Skill Development Centres. Simultaneously, through the Acquire Early Program, Medtronic will leverage this talent pool for its internship projects, that will see students benefit from mentorship support, constructive job experience and enhancement of their overall soft and employable skills. In addition, final year students from Tier 3 and Tier 4 institutes will undergo the Bridge Program developed by ASAP and upon successful completion, will be assessed for internship opportunities by Medtronic.

“As the largest medical technology company in the world, Medtronic has enabled skill proficiency building across biomedical engineering and multiple therapy areas, significantly contributing to the healthcare ecosystem in India. Our partnership with ASAP is one more step in that direction,” said Madan Krishnan, vice president and managing director, Medtronic India. “Through this program, we hope to extend opportunities to students to join the innovative world of medical technology and contribute to improving access to latest therapies. We firmly believe that our internship program provides an opportunity to gain valuable work experience and understand a rapidly growing and evolving med-tech industry. We remain confident that through our collaboration, we will leverage our common strengths, and continue to work with students and develop the skilling eco-system in the country, aligning with Government’s Skill India vision.”

“The very philosophy of ASAP as a skill development agency is to accentuate the employability of the youth. We look forward to leveraging this philosophy through a mutually benefitting collaboration with Medtronic and offer some unique opportunities for the youth of Kerala,” said Dr. Usha Titus, chairperson and managing director, ASAP Kerala.

Focused on providing students an immersion into the med-tech job market, Medtronic and ASAP will also partner on deploying a series of insight led webinars and guest lectures designed for third year and final year engineering students. Key Medtronic leaders will interact with young minds through these interactive sessions with the goal of providing aspiring students a peak into a career in the med-tech sector.

About ASAP

Additional Skill Acquisition Programme Kerala (ASAP Kerala) is a not for profit company under Government of Kerala, India, that invests in provision of industry relevant skills. Over the last 8 years, ASAP Kerala has created a unique demand-based, industry-led skill training ecosystem in the State through 121 Skill Development Centres connecting Higher Secondary Schools and Arts and Science Colleges, Advanced Skill Development Centres (ASDCs) in 90 Engineering Colleges and 45 Polytechnics institutions and 16 Community Skill Parks (CSPs) for multi-skill training.

About Medtronic

Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world’s largest medical technology, services and solutions companies – alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 90,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals, and patients in more than 150 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare further, together.