AICTE-EduSkills Launches 100,000 Virtual Internships and 3,000+ Hiring Opportunities
New Delhi : The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has partnered with EduSkills Foundation to unveil a groundbreaking initiative that offers 100,000 virtual internships and over 3,000 job opportunities for students. The launch event, held in New Delhi, was chaired by Professor T.G. Sitharam, the esteemed Chairman of AICTE.
Under the collaboration with M/S EduSkills Foundation, AICTE will provide 100,000 virtual internship opportunities for students, while M/S Eduskill Foundation's corporate partners will facilitate the hiring of 3,000 candidates. Notably, the virtual internships are generously sponsored by M/S Zscaler, a partner of Eduskill Foundation. Additionally, M/S Wonderbotz, another esteemed partner, has committed to hiring 3,000 candidates who successfully complete their internships through the AICTE internship portal by 2027.
Several distinguished personalities attended the program, including Shri Buddha Chandrasekhar, Chief Coordinator Officer (CCO) of AICTE, Sh. B M Tiwari, Assistant Director at AICTE, Mr. Steve LaValle, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of WonderBotz, Mr. Vivek Goel, Country Head of WonderBotz, Mr. Ninad Katkar, Regional VP of Government Business at Zscaler India, Mr. Abhir Naik, Senior Academic Content Developer & Trainer at Zscaler India, and Dr. Shubhajit Jagadev, CEO of EduSkills Foundation, along with other AICTE officials.
EduSkills Foundation is a national-level social Edtech organization known for its strong ties with multinational corporations (MNCs), industry-academia collaborations, and faculty development programs. The foundation aims to provide advanced skilling and internship opportunities to students, making them industry-ready. To achieve this goal, AICTE has partnered with leading MNCs, allowing students to gain practical experience and expertise.
The initiative has already seen tremendous success, with four cohorts comprising 120,000 students completing their internships to date. The ongoing fifth cohort has witnessed approximately 50,000 students completing their internships across twelve different domains, supported by nine corporate entities such as AWS, Palo Alto, and Juniper. Moreover, additional corporate programs are in the pipeline, promising to expand the range of internship opportunities available. This initiative is particularly beneficial for students from tier-3 cities and rural areas who previously lacked such privileges.
By offering internship opportunities in cutting-edge technologies, this initiative not only creates numerous job prospects but also fosters entrepreneurial ventures across the country. India is poised to become a talent hub by 2025, and the rapid adoption of technology within the country plays a pivotal role in driving the growth of the Indian digital economy. AICTE's collaboration with EduSkills Foundation to provide virtual internships and career opportunities to students in technical institutions nationwide significantly contributes to this vision.
During the launch event, Professor (Dr.) T G Sitharam expressed his delight regarding the initiative and emphasized the importance of extending these opportunities to rural and interior institutions that currently lack such facilities. He also highlighted how similar activities could enhance the sustainability of institutions, leading to increased demand for more engineers. Professor Sitharam commended EduSkills for organizing industry visits with the support of Juniper and suggested expanding these visits to faculty and students in rural institutions.
Dr. Chandrasekhar Buddha applauded the leadership teams of Zscaler and WonderBotz for supporting AICTE's vision. He commended EduSkills for achieving such a significant milestone and emphasized the initiative's alignment with the Hon'ble Prime Minister's mission of providing one crore internships. Dr. Buddha acknowledged the support of ten major MNCs who are actively participating in this initiative.
Mr. Ninad Katkar, Regional VP of Government Business at Zscaler India, extended his gratitude to the entire AICTE team and the EduSkills Foundation for involving Zscaler in this initiative. He proudly stated that Zscaler is committed to ensuring equal participation of women, with nearly 50% of Zscaler employees being women.
Mr. Steve LaValle, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, expressed his gratitude to AICTE, the Ministry of Education, and EduSkills for providing the opportunity to participate in the Hon'ble Prime Minister's mission. He also announced additional steps that WonderBotz would take to support the mission, including faculty development programs, licensing and mentoring support, scholarships, and more.
Mr. Shubhajit Jagadev, CEO of EduSkills, expressed his gratitude to Professor T G Sitharam, Dr. Chandrasekhar Buddha, Mr. B M Tiwari, Assistant Director, and all other AICTE officers for their unwavering support and guidance. He shared success stories and outlined plans for industry visits, grooming sessions for faculties, and other upcoming initiatives.
