PayPal and ICT Academy Inaugurated Student Enablement Program at Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS)

ICT Academy, supported by PayPal, launched the Student Enablement Program at Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science to train students on advanced IT skills. The program aims to benefit 2,500 students, in engineering, arts and science institutions across Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka by providing critical development opportunities for women and underprivileged youth. Upon completion of the program, 70% of the participants will secure job placement at various IT companies.

The inauguration of the program was held at Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai on 20 December 2022. The Institution has always strived for advancing towards implementing latest technologies to upskill students and faculty. It also opens opportunities for women through its own initiative of having a women empowerment cell. ICT Academy (www.ictacademy.in) is an initiative of the Government of India in collaboration with the state Governments and Industries. ICT Academy is a not-for-profit society, the first of its kind pioneer venture under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model that endeavors to train the higher education teachers and students thereby exercises on developing the next generation teachers and industry ready students. “Partners like ICT Academy are instrumental in identifying diverse pathways into the tech field. As an innovator in the payments industry and a leading employer in India, we recognize the importance of private-non-profit partnerships in developing tech talent of tomorrow. A solid education is often the first step towards greater inclusion. PayPal remains committed to creating more opportunities for India’s future workforce to thrive, starting with helping them bridge the gap between education and work,” said Jayanthi Vaidayanathan, Vice President and Head HR, PayPal India. Speaking about this partnership, Hari Balachandran, Chief Executive Officer, ICT Academy said, “Technology has become part of every business. As the technologies evolve faster, developing the skills of the people will be the key to employment and economic development of the nation. ICT Academy continuously strives to develop a sustainable skill ecosystem right from the bottom of the pyramid. ICT Academy does it by collaborating with corporate, government and academia. The collaboration with PayPal is a step forward to serve the deserving people of the society. The program will enable needy students to get skilled in technologies of the fourth industrial revolution being adopted by industries worldwide.” Salient features of the program include 140 hours of training on IT and professional skills, training 100 faculty members on advanced technologies and assigning the role of mentors, assessment for trained students, certification, placement facilitation for certified students, and other activities for students to enhance their skill. During the inaugural event, Dr. Thangakumar, Head CSE, HITS, Dr. Sherine Joy, Head Women Empowerment Cell, Mr Ramkumar, Head CSR, PayPal graced the occasion.