Springboard Secures $31M in Series B Funding Led by Telstra Ventures

Springboard, a mentor-guided online learning platform that prepares people for in-demand careers, announced today it has raised $31 million in Series B funding, bringing its total capital raised to more than $50 million. This round was led by new investor Telstra Ventures, with participation from Vulcan Capital and SJF Ventures, and returning investors Costanoa Ventures, Pearson Ventures, Reach Capital, International Finance Corporation (IFC), 500 Startups, Blue Fog Capital, and Learn Capital. 

Springboard launched India as its first geography outside the USA in 2019 and has placed its learners in Fortune 500 and world-renowned companies such as Samsung, Salesforce, Visa, LinkedIn, Cisco. The latest round of capital will enable Springboard to double down on student employability in response to the current job market in India and globally, by creating new hiring-focused products and strengthening employer partnerships to help graduates land their dream careers. 

Since inception, Springboard’s programs were designed to be entirely online, yet heavily supported by human interactions with mentors and a network of career experts. The new capital infusion will help Springboard further support job-seeking graduates by building several innovative tools for India and global markets:

The Hireability Forecaster, which provides early indications of student success and potential employability roadblocks by combining the power of Springboard’s predictive technology and the insights from its global community of almost 1,000 industry mentors. With 80% of Springboard mentors indicating they would hire their mentee, mentors and coaches will have the ability to indicate student achievement and intervene to course correct if students fall behind. 

Springboard Introductions, which offers Springboard students personalized, targeted introductions and job referrals from its community of over 13,000 mentors, alumni, fellow students, and employer partners that collectively represent over 50% of the Fortune 500 across 108 countries. Candidates who are internally referred are 15 times more likely to be hired than those who apply on a job board.

Student-Job Fit Recommender, an AI-driven job matching tool, which recommends open roles at Springboard’s employer partners that match each student's unique background and skill set. 

"India is witnessing one of its toughest challenges owing to the recent job losses that have impacted a large section of the workforce. It is therefore imperative for displaced workers to make the difficult transition into new, in-demand careers,” said Parul Gupta, Co-founder, Springboard. “Our remote-first, mentor-guided model is uniquely positioned to serve not only these individuals, but also universities and employers who need help navigating today's new economic reality. We're delighted to partner with a great group of investors, as we continue on our mission to transform over one million lives by 2030."

“Technology used to be a niche area but that’s no longer the case. As more and more companies are built on tech, the need to understand concepts like Data Science, AI, ML, UI/UX has become more homogenous. For learning to be meaningful, it needs to encompass state-of-the-art curriculum with real-world projects as well as mentorship and that is what Springboard stands for. With this funding we are in a good position to build on our strengths to provide in-demand job skills and holistic support at every step,” said Vivek Kumar, Managing Director, Springboard.

“The education sector is facing a tectonic shift. As enterprises and countries alike seek more and better talent with digital skill sets, the technology training market is set to explode,” said Albert Bielinko, Principal, at Telstra Ventures. "We invested in Springboard because the strong educational and job placement outcomes achieved by its students are a big differentiator. Springboard's highly personalised approach is built with the online learner in mind first, not as an afterthought, and offers a life-changing value proposition for Springboard's graduates.” 

Started by co-founders Gautam Tambay and Parul Gupta in 2013, Springboard pioneered a learning model that has enabled thousands of successful career transitions into the most in-demand technology fields via its job-guaranteed programs that are taught entirely online. Unlike most online learning companies that stop at teaching technical skills, Springboard focuses on employability -- 94% of eligible graduates secure a job within a year, earning an average salary increase of $26,000. Springboard’s unique strength is its remote-first yet human-centric approach that matches each student 1:1 with a personalized mentor—an industry professional working in their chosen field—who provides weekly feedback to keep students motivated and accountable. This approach has resulted in 330% student enrollment growth from June 2019 to June 2020. 

Furthering its commitment to student employability, Springboard is expanding its career services. It has tripled the number of virtual apprenticeship opportunities to build portfolio-worthy content and provide real-world work experience. The career services team has grown its career coaching capacity by 4x to provide more access to office hours, mock interviews, and a team of placement experts assigned to each student. To provide additional support during the job search, Springboard has extended its professional mentorship after program completion. 

In the coming months, Springboard plans to grow its industry-leading course offerings outside the high-tech industry to include additional skills gap disciplines. The company will also look to deepen its partnerships with universities and employers, enabling them to adapt to evolving reskilling needs in a post-pandemic economy.

Prepareness Is On For Reopening of Indian Schools Across India Safely

Popcorn Furniture, India’s largest educational furniture manufacturing company, held a webinar on ‘Reopening schools safely post COVID-19’. The one and a half hour long webinar was attended by five renowned panelists from education, health and sanitization sectors, and was followed by an insightful half-an-hour Q&A session.  

The session was organized with the aim to discuss a framework and guidelines to support educational institutes in facilitating the reopening of schools. It covered the changes in the education module post the lockdown and a way forward to the new SOPs framed in order to respond to the child’s learning, health and safety needs. The webinar reported the participation of over 1000 attendees including teachers, principals, school owners, school trustees, consultants, students and media. Mrs. Deepika Goyal, Founder and Director, Popcorn Furniture was the moderator. Dr. Shayama Chona, Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan Renowned Educationalist, Dr. Monika Arora, Director Health Promotion Division, Public Health Foundation, Dr. Vidya Gupta, Senior Consultant in Pediatrics & Neonatology, Apollo Hospital, Ms. Nupur Goenka, Director GD Goenka Group, Mr. Sumit Nadgir, CEO, HiCare MD, TrueNorth were the five eminent panelists for the session.

The major points discussed during the webinar were- the key challenges and effects in reopening schools post COVID-19, trust issues between parents and school authorities, challenges or difficulties for differently abled students, sanitization and safety process and implementation of hybrid education module. Adding to the same, panelist gave their quick opinion on public health guidelines and detailed SOPs that can be followed for student’s safety. The webinar had a long Q&A session and the questions ranged from physical to virtual problems faced by school kids, parents and teachers during the lockdown, discussion on getting a blue print by schools to ensure the safety of kids and a relief package from government to educational institutions.

Mrs. Deepika Goyal, Founder and Director, Popcorn Furniture, said, “We at Popcorn have sold furniture to over 8000 schools across India and abroad and we have always been concerned about the safety of the kids. We wanted to do our best to keep these kids safe once schools reopen.   We came up with the idea of doing a webinar on “Reopening schools safely” as we really feel that a society cannot open fully without reopening the schools. We worked with a few experts and came up with a health curriculum on reopening schools safely which is now on our website. It was amazing to see so many thousand people on the webinar as our intension was to help as many stakeholders in the reopening of schools safely”.

Dr. Shayama Chona, Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan Renowned Educationalist, said,”I have attended so many webinars but I have to say that one stood out as the most exceptional one I have ever done. It was the amazing effort by Popcorn Furniture and it stood out because of thousands participants and the amazing panelists. Each one was a master in their field and had done a lot of research on reopening schools safely. The purpose of the webinar was to help the schools and the society.”

Ms. Nupur Goenka, Director GD Goenka Group, said, “Reopening schools will be a practice in the art of collaboration of all the major stakeholders, management, parents and the students. Winston Churchill said “never let a good crisis go to waste”. There is a big opportunity in the crisis for a major channel of our education system. The need of the hour is to be adaptable, patient and resilient.”

Dr. Monika Arora, Director Health Promotion Division, Public Health Foundation, said,” I loved that the webinar had such a multi-disciplinary panel and audience.  They were bringing out such relevant sources spreading the reopening of schools safely as we were all tied by the common thread of concern for the safety of our kids. I know that there are lot of issues all stakeholders whether its panelists or schools are facing regarding the challenge of safety and there is a lot we can learn from connection which have already reopened the schools.”

Dr. Vidya Gupta, Senior Consultant in Pediatrics & Neonatology, Apollo Hospital, said, “I think the webinar was very important to develop a systemized thinking as to how schools should reopen. The multi-disciplinary group that looked into the different aspects of opening schools was an excellent choice. I am glad that I could contribute to alleviating the worries and concerns that people have had about reopening schools.”

Mr. Sumit Nadgir, CEO, HiCare MD, TrueNorth, said,”The topic of reopening schools safely was a very relevant topic and was definitely a need of the hour. Whether schools go for a staggered or full opening, the webinar has immense information to help them out to reopen safely. The panel was an amazing mix from different disciplines and I am sure that with great sanitization and safety measures, we can all look at a safe opening for schools and educational institutions.”

EuroSchool Bangalore Students Secure 100% Results in CBSE Examination

All three Bangalore campuses of EuroSchool (Whitefield, Yelahanka and Chimney Hills), have announced great performance in the CBSE Class X results of 2020 having witnessed 100% results.

Miss Ariya Samir Wadekar from EuroSchool Whitefield scored 97%, topping the three campuses in Bangalore. Ten students of EuroSchool Whitefield scored above 90%. The highest marks in Maths was 100 and 99 in Second Language.

Ms. Shruthi Arun, Principal, EuroSchool, Whitefield, said “It is a proud moment for us at EuroSchool, Whitefield as our students once again, have excelled in the Class X results reflecting years of hard work. It is the deep commitment of our faculty that has helped our students to prepare not just for the board exams but also for their professional careers and life after school. 

Miss Ariya Samir Wadekar from EuroSchool Whitefield says about her success, “Enjoy your present and work hard towards your goals. I invested my time in reading curriculum books, reference books, getting extra information from the teachers and combining all these to ensure clear understanding about a topic before moving to next. Just remember, whatever you are going to do is in your hands.”

Ms. Shruti Sampoorna Mishra from EuroSchool, North Campus, Bangalore scored 95% topping her school. She scored 99% in Second Language, 98 in Maths and 93 in Science. Ms. Brunda M from EuroSchool, Chimney Hills scored 91.60%, topping her school, followed closely by Ms. Greeshma D Holeyannavar, with 90%.

The current academic module at EuroSchool lays emphasis on learning with technology. The virtual schooling programme runs on the proprietary Digital Learning Ecosystem (LMS) ARGUS ensuring effective Home Engagement with students to ensure #UninterruptedLearning.

EuroSchool currently has a presence of 11 Schools across six cities in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Surat.

About EuroSchool International:

EuroSchool, is a network of 11 K-12 Schools, across 6 cities in India. A division of EuroKids Group, the School Operates on the philosophy of ‘Discover Yourself’ wherein the core focus is to encourage children to realise latent talent, ascertain areas of interest, hone individual skills, thereby uncovering varied facets of their personality. The profound realisation that the skills that are required to face the challenges we will be up against in the future must be imparted from a young age evolved into the philosophy of ‘Discover Yourself’ which is delivered via the ‘Balanced Schooling’ pedagogy. Their Learn - Reinforce - Practice - Apply methodology, paves the way for the students to do well in academics, with the co-curricular activities helping children to develop their creative, sporting and musical aspirations. 

All EuroSchools are affiliated either to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or the Indian Council of Secondary Education (ICSE) and select EuroSchools also offer the CAIE, Cambridge Assessment International Education (IGCSE).  It is India’s 1st chain of Schools to receive the ‘Safe School’ certification from a global audit firm.

UNICEF India, SAP India Partner to Improve Employability of the Young

On World Youth Skills Day, UNICEF India today announced its partnership with SAP India to provide career counselling to young people in the country that will improve their employability skills in a COVID and post COVID era. UNICEF is collaborating with YuWaah (Generation Unlimited) under this initiative to provide digital education and occupational skillset to the underserved young people of the country.

Under the collaboration UNICEF – YuWaah – SAP will strengthen the following:

* Improve digital skills and life skills for young people

* Provide young people with career options.

* Reimagine the model in other states with the Government of India

* Impacting one million young people by the end of 2022

Young people living in rural areas are particularly vulnerable when it comes to career and employability opportunities due to limited access to information, training, opportunities or the skills to participate fully in India’s modernizing technology-driven economy. The national aggregate on learner-computer ratio is reported to be 1:89, suggesting an inequitable access[1] in rural schools. Evidence[2] suggests that technology solutions can be optimized better to address poor learning levels, low retention rates, poor life-skills, and gender inclusion.

“Quality education and digital inclusion have never been more important. COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of access to education and this couldn’t be more relevant to India which has the highest number of young people, said Alexandra van der Ploeg, Head of CSR at SAP. “Together with UNICEF in support of the UN’s Generation Unlimited initiative, we can use the power of innovation to solve social issues and help our youth through education, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship. In true SAP spirit, our unique partnership with UNICEF will not only maximize our collective impact but inspire young people in India and across the globe to help the world run better. After all, if our young people aren’t given the opportunities for skill development, they won’t be able to associate and support social causes that help in development of a nation,” she said.

“COVID-19 has led to disruptions in educational, economic and social spheres of life, that has thrown up many challenges for young people. The UNICEF – YuWaah – SAP India partnership will empower young people to help them harness their creativity, problem-solving and leadership to make a difference in their lives and in their communities. This partnership will address urgent challenges young people face by equipping them with life skills, social innovation and career guidance,” said Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India.

Trend Micro and Girls in Tech Partner to Help Close the Gender Gap in the Technology Industry

Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today announced a new initiative in its long-running effort to close the diversity and talent gap in the technology industry. The company will extend its partnership with Girls in Tech, a global non-profit bringing the world together through education and experiences. Together, the two organizations will address the worldwide skills shortage in cybersecurity by helping to develop a large talent pool of women eager to get their start in the industry.

Although there is a global shortfall of more than four million cybersecurity professionals today, just a quarter (24%) of current roles are estimated to be taken by women. Both organizations, with global reach, are passionate about connecting with more women and gender-diverse talent and helping find them opportunities to advance their careers and secure the future. Girls in Tech, with 60,000 global members, has been dedicated to raising awareness of this skills gap and to overcome the divide for more than ten years and Trend Micro runs global education programs with a focus on helping women develop new skills to fill the open jobs.

“I’ve always been passionate about and dedicated to encouraging greater gender diversity in the industry. It’s why at Trend Micro we’re committed to supporting equal opportunities in the workplace and in 2018 launched our Close the Gap initiative,” said Eva Chen, co-founder and CEO of Trend Micro. “I’m delighted to be teaming with Girls in Tech to further advance our efforts. Especially in light of recent events, I believe we must celebrate and encourage diversity at every turn today. It’s what makes us human.”

As part of this expanded partnership with Girls in Tech, Trend Micro will develop a new Cybersecurity Fundamentals course for the non-profit. Instead of choosing a course that already exists within the program, Trend Micro has called on its world-class security team to build a custom course for Girls in Tech specific to today’s market need. The course, a blend of e-learning, online instructor-led classes and a hands-on lab via Trend Micro Product Cloud, will cover cybersecurity essentials, network security threats, an introduction to malware analysis, and much more.

“Girls in Tech shares with Trend Micro a unified vision for a future in which women are provided the same opportunities to pursue professions in technology as their male counterparts,” said Adriana Gascoigne, founder and CEO of Girls in Tech. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Trend Micro to positively impact the technology landscape for women today and generations to come.”

Trend Micro and Girls in Tech first worked together on the Close the Gap program at AWS re:Invent 2018 where they brought managing directors from 30 global Girls in Tech chapters together to brainstorm diversity ideas and programs with industry executives.

Registration for the new Cybersecurity Fundamentals course is now open. The virtual course will run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 25 and last four hours per week.

Satyam top executive resigns

IT major Satyam Computer's head of automotives division, Subbu D Subramanian, has quit, a company spokesperson said.

Subramanian, who was serving as the Vice-President of the Hyderabad-based company, has put in his papers to seek career opportunities abroad, the spokesperson told media here.

He would be succeeded by another Satyam senior official, Keshab Panda, who was in the charge of the firm's energy and utilities vertical.

Agencies