TCS to train 10 mn people by 2020

Barun Jha Davos: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Friday joined 25 other international companies to launch a global reskilling initiative here at the World Economic Forum that aims to provide training to 10 million people by 2020. 

The World Economic Forum (WEF) said in a statement that its Closing the Skills Gap 2020 initiative with 26 founding partners has already secured pledges to provide reskilling or upskilling opportunities to 8.1 million people. The drive is inspired by new research that suggests 96 per cent of all workers at threat from technology could find similar or better work with adequate training, the WEF said. 

Closing the Skills Gap 2020 would be supported by a dedicated online platform -- closingtheskillsgap.org -- developed by TCS. The platform would enable businesses to make measurable commitments to skills development and share insights and best practices. TCS chief Rajesh Gopinathan said digital technologies are "transforming the world around us –- including the way we work and the nature of relationships between businesses and employees". 

He said it is critical to provide people around the world with access to education that is relevant and contextual, to gain skills that move them from consumers to creators in this new digital economy. "Only then will we harness the abundance of potential talent that's currently untapped," he noted. "I am proud of our pledge to help reskill over 1 million people by 2020 as part of Closing the Skills Gap 2020," he said.

Besides TCS, the 26 global founding partners include Adecco Group, Bahrain Economic Development Board, Barclays, British Telecom, EY, Jumeirah Group, King Abdullah Economic City, Mercer (MMC), Nestle, Nokia, SAP, TupperwareBrands and Zain Group.

They have committed to scaling-up successful corporate initiatives or creating new initiatives aimed at addressing the global skills gap crisis. This would be done through measures such as vocational training, work-based learning, entrepreneurship development, digital literacy programmes, and development of employability and soft skills.