The Covid-19 pandemic brought the digital divide to the forefront. Students who had access to the Internet and digital skills leapfrogged over those who didn’t. “It made us realise we’ve to address the digital literacy skills gap,” says Charu Kapoor, country director, NIIT Foundation. In an interview with FE’s Vikram Chaudhary, she adds that while it’s difficult for kids from remote areas to attend a modern classroom, a modern classroom can go to them. “Our Digital Buses – solar-powered classrooms – are teaching digital skills to kids in remote areas. We already have nine, and soon will have 15 of those.” Excerpts:
There are so many NGOs connected to corporates in India. What edge does NIIT Foundation have?
Our aim is to empower individuals of all ages to navigate the digital landscape through interactive courses. We also facilitate placement opportunities for our graduates – whom we’ve trained in retail, IT & ITeS, BPO and cybersecurity.
We seek to foster public awareness amongst our beneficiaries by promoting sustainable development goals and encouraging participation in campaigns promoting responsible resource management practices, specifically reduce, reuse and recycle.
Lastly, we support other NGOs connected to the cause and assist them in enhancing their capacities.
The pandemic brought the digital divide to the forefront. Did that ‘realisation’ make NGOs like yours reevaluate digital skilling initiatives?
The Covid-19 pandemic impacted livelihoods across socioeconomic barriers, and especially the poor. It made us recognise the urgency to address the skills gap – both pivotal skill-sets and digital literacy. Today, our organisation reaches beneficiaries across 25 states and 308 districts of India.
Our Digital Buses, which are solar-powered mobile classrooms, are reaching the remotest districts to provide students with access to technology and the Internet, offering IT courses, assessments and certification courses to close the digital gap. These Digital Buses, offering printing solutions and video conferencing facility, also encourage interpersonal communication skills.
Currently, nine Digital Buses are running across the country, and six will soon be added.
In which all ways do you raise funds?
Our funding partners hail from a range of industries, including financial/banking services, tech, steel and food & beverage – all who believe in diminishing the gap in digital literacy. The NIIT Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, but is immensely supported by the NIIT Group as well.
Recently, NIIT Foundation and Cisco trained 500,000 students on cybersecurity…
Yes, that happened through our ‘Cyber Suraksha’ programme over the last two years. It included modules on online transactions, banking procedures and secure document submission, while raising awareness about phishing scams, malware and cyberattacks. Cyber Suraksha saw participation from 27 states and five Union territories.
What kind of digital skills gap is still there between India and Bharat?
Higher exposure to technology and opportunity often benefits the urban population, allowing them to develop the necessary skills to get jobs. Lower technology and Internet penetration often restrict rural populations from navigating the digital landscape and/or developing essential skills to tap into the job market. It also excludes them from the benefits of e-governance, e-commerce and online education, further marginalising them.
What steps can be taken towards training female students in STEM education?
We have a ‘STEM for Girls Programme’, fostering the development of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) mindset amongst young girls. It also empowers women from non-STEM backgrounds to pursue careers in information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services (ITeS). It specifically targets girls from rural and semi-urban government schools, aiming to equip them with the technological literacy necessary in today’s world.
How can anyone measure the impact of your skill development initiatives?
We’ve had 8.46 million enrolments and 170,000 successful placements, from 79% districts across 26 states and three Union territories.
In the past financial year, 1.65 million beneficiaries were enrolled in our programmes, with 1.38 million successfully completing their certification. Further, over 58,000 youth participated in career-focused programmes, of which 41,500 secured productive employment upon completion. Our initiative garnered interest from diverse demographics, extending its positive impact to the LGBTQIA+ community, people with special needs, and senior citizens.
