Hyderabad: Minister for IT, D Sridhar Babu emphasised the crucial role of the Government of Telangana in the growth and development of the Information Technology and Communications (IT&C) sector.

During an event on Friday marking the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) and NASSCOM’s IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council, he reiterated the Chief Minister’s vision to empower every graduate with industry-relevant skills.

He praised the collaborative efforts of TGCHE and NASSCOM in advancing this important mission. He highlighted the transformation of ITIs into Advanced Training Centres (ATCs), which will ensure job placement for all students. He further aimed to establish Hyderabad as the skilled capital of India.

Additionally, he stressed the significance of industry-academia collaboration by focusing on imparting skills that meet market demand and providing suitable industry internships for students in Telangana.

Dr Abhilasha Gaur, CEO of the IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council, NASSCOM, highlighted the substantial contributions made by NASSCOM for the development of the IT industry in India. She also outlined various initiatives by the IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council aimed at strengthening skill development across the sector.

Prof V Balakista Reddy, Chairman of TGCHE, showcased recent initiatives to align higher education with industry demands. He elaborated on comprehensive curriculum reforms at the undergraduate level, ensuring that all students are exposed to technology-driven courses in emerging domains such as Digital Marketing, Cybersecurity, Fintech, Artificial Intelligence, and Sustainable Sciences. These transformative changes aim to significantly enhance the employability and industry readiness of graduates in Telangana.

The collaboration will offer micro-learning content, foundation and deep-skilling courses (both free and paid), and a specialised offline course in “Embedded Software Development and Testing” to build essential digital capabilities. NASSCOM will facilitate the upskilling of one lakh learners annually over the next three years in Telangana.

TGCHE will encourage universities and colleges to develop internal talent pools by motivating students to complete certifications that align academic learning with industry demands. Completion certificates will be awarded to eligible learners upon successful course completion.

Certified learners will be linked to potential employers via the Skill Sector Council (SSC) NASSCOM’s Talent Connect- an employment-enabling platform- that supports their transition from learning to earning.