Microsoft Invites Applications from Undergraduate Students for Virtual Internship Program, Participants to Get Certificates

Microsoft announced the Future Ready Talent program, which is a collaborative virtual internship program for students in their second year of college and upwards. The initiative aims to impact over 1.5 lakh higher education students who will join the workforce between 2022-2024. Under the program, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), FutureSkills Prime-a NASSCOM and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) digital skilling initiative, Ernst & Young (EY), GitHub and Quess Corp along with Microsoft will provide a holistic skilling platform, connecting talent to opportunity.

Anant Maheshwari, president, Microsoft India, said: “India's youth is among the country’s biggest competitive advantages. Empowering this talent with the right skills to be self-reliant will be foundational to our long-term growth. The Future Ready Talent Program provides a holistic skilling experience that connects learners more readily with new job opportunities. We are proud to collaborate with a strong set of partners for this program, who are deeply committed to building a vibrant skilling ecosystem in the country.”

• Microsoft will provide learning modules and certifications through its learning platform, Microsoft Learn, skilling students on topics like cloud computing, data and AI and cybersecurity.
• AICTE will ensure the curriculum is aligned to the National Education Policy, 2020.
• SSC NASSCOM will provide alignment of relevant courses to the National Occupational Standards, linking these courses on FutureSkills Prime.
• EY will provide technology and industry mentorship to students during their internship tenure.
• GitHub will provide students with free access to the best developer tools via the GitHub Student Developer Pack, as well as the opportunity to collaborate on projects with other developers on GitHub.
• Quess Corp will manage the learner experience and host a virtual career fair for participants, exposing them to career opportunities across the Microsoft customer and partner ecosystem.

Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairman, AICTE, said: "The National Education Policy 2020 has a clear focus on encouraging experiential learning and critical thinking among students. The Future Ready Talent program builds on this approach with Microsoft's industry-leading technology and skilling resources. The program, with its unique model, allows students not just to acquire skills that are in demand, but also test the skills by solving critical projects and get an opportunity to learn from industry experts. Access to digital skills will be at the core of making India a skilled economy and we are committed to playing a strong role in that journey.”

Eligible students can apply for the internship program by visiting the official website and registering for open batches. The registration for the first batch will start on 15 September 2021.