PAYPAL and ICT ACADEMY Renew Partnership to Empower Underprivileged Youth in India

The inauguration of the program was held at St. Joseph's College of Engineering, Chennai on 17th October 2023 in the presence of more than 1,500 Students. The St. Joseph's College of Engineering has always strived for advancing towards implementing latest technologies to upskill students and faculty.

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 endeavours to train the higher education teachers and students thereby exercises on developing the next generation teachers and industry ready students.

"Building on the success of our inaugural Student Enablement Program with ICT ACADEMY in 2022, we're proud to expand the initiative to impact 35% more students this year. Education can be crucial to breaking the poverty cycle for underrepresented groups and enabling a more inclusive community. As an innovator in the payments industry and a leading employer in India, we remain committed to enabling the success of women and underprivileged youth by strengthening their work readiness with industry-relevant skills building," said Mouli V., Vice President of Data, and India Site Leader, PAYPAL.

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.

Mr. Arunraj, I.A.S, Executive Director - ELCOT in his speech emphasised the need for women empowerment and various steps taken by Government Tamil Nadu in that direction.

Dr. Vaddi Seshagiri, Principal, St. Joseph's College of Engineering, delivered the welcome address and highlighted the importance of the partnership.

Dr. B. Babu Manohar, Chairman, St. Joseph's Group of Institutions, Ms. Sheela Pascal, Sr. Director - Data, PAYPAL India, Mr. Suresh Babu, Associate Vice President, ICT ACADEMY and Mr. Poornaprakash, State Head, ICT ACADEMY graced the inaugural ceremony with their esteemed presence.

With this renewed partnership, ICT ACADEMY and PAYPAL are poised to make a lasting impact on underprivileged youth, equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in todays competitive world.