In an attempt to help the youth of India as well as budding entrepreneurs, IBM has launched the ‘SkillsBuild Reignite’ platform, which will offer free online courses and mentorship. The platform will provide personalised coaching and enhanced courses to help entrepreneurs establish their businesses.
In November, 2019, IBM had collaborated with the Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, to establish the SkillsBuild online learning platform for the benefit of students across the country. It has been offering digital classrooms with the help of the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) of the country. Now, IBM has gone a step further to include more courses and coaching sessions to lend support to entrepreneurs who need advice or help with starting their own small businesses or resuming operations post the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lessons and sessions being offered cover topics such as financial management, business strategy, digital strategy and legal support, in addition to artificial intelligence, cloud, data analytics and security.
The SkillsBuild platform has already benefited 4,700 learners across 15 states and Union Territories, even in the face of the pandemic-related restrictions and lockdown. It has been of immense use to 14,135 learners who have completed 40,000 courses and 77,000 hours of e-learning.
Now, with the help of the additional coursework being offered by the SkillsBuild Reignite platform, the workforce will be aligned with the needs of the industry. Job seekers will be able to arm themselves with the digital and professional skills, as well as relevant training required to re-enter the workforce, post the pandemic. Not only youth seeking employment, but even business owners and entrepreneurs who wish to reskill and upskill themselves can gain from this platform.