While network connectivity might be a major problem, unemployment pips any other problem faced by the countrymen. Thus, at the Future Decoded event in Mumbai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the launch of an initiative ‘Project Sangam’ that’ll help in skill development of individuals, while also making the task of job search easier for them. It is currently being flagged off with Andhra Pradesh.
Under this initiative, Microsoft is looking to achieve two seemingly interconnected motives. It aims to offer a learning platform that will not only help the Indian populace receive training but also court job opportunities through their professional social network, i.e. LinkedIn. It is primarily aimed at bridging the wide skill and employment gap in the country.
Project Sangam gives the government’s ‘Skill India’ mission a much-needed boost by providing job opportunities for skilled workers across all segments. Instead of just catering to white-collar jobs, this initiative wants to help upskill middle and new collar workers. It has further been described as under:
It will enable blended online and offline, teaching and learning. The project aims to connect the skills learning programs directly with relevant jobs, by leveraging the power of LinkedIn’s extensive job search platform.
For using the said platform, you will yet again need your Aadhar card (which Microsoft recently integrated into their Skype Lite app to verify your identity). You’ll use the 12-digit national identification number system to set up your account, which will be followed by the creation of a LinkedI profile if you don’t already have one. Then, the app will prompt you to select your domain — the one you want to gain expertise in. Talking about the sign-up process, Nadella says,
The company will allow people to enroll through Aadhaar cards and later utilize LinkedIn to manage their profiles.
We will bring the same technology that we had in Linkedin to help both upskill the workforce for these various vocational jobs and then really finding the jobs that they aspire to get.
Since Project Sangam is intended for use in emerging markets, such as India, it has been designed to work seamlessly on metered data connections. It also offers users access to LinkedIn Learning, an upgrade to Lynda.com, to enable them to choose their course and start training. Once the training process is complete, Microsoft will instantly update their profiles to help employers recognise their skills. It will also provide alerts about job opportunities on the platform and via SMS messages.
The Redmond-based tech giant is of the opinion that Project Sangam will strengthen the skill development ecosystem in the country. And the exposure of Indian masses to this platform could potentially benefit millions of individuals seeking to learn something fresh and court job opportunities.
