The British Council and Microsoft India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a co-developed three-year partnership program, ‘English Skills for Youth’. According to a Microsoft release, the cooperation aims to enhance the life opportunities of young people, aged between 18-25 years old, particularly women, in socio-economically marginalized communities across India.

The program aims to impart one of the most in-demand skills – the English language – to the students, whose primary objective is to enhance employability skills for the youth, the release said.

The beneficiaries will also be equipped with essential underpinning skills, including collaboration, critical thinking, soft skills, and leadership abilities, offering a holistic development plan for the youth which are crucial for improving employment prospects and facilitating further education opportunities. It will have a deliberate intake of 75% women learners to bridge the gender divide in the workplace.

The project seeks to benefit 60,000 youth and 600 teachers during the initial three-year pilot phase, intending to reach 400,000 youngsters engaged in Microsoft Philanthropies-funded projects.

“ This partnership model brings together expertise in developing the range of skills such as working collaboratively, critical thinking, English communication and soft skills, and leadership skills that are crucial for the age group of 18-25 years to improve their employability opportunities,” Alison Barrett MBE, Director India, British Council, said. “We are very excited about the long-term positive impact that will be delivered at scale through the expansive network of Microsoft Philanthropies, preparing young women and students to take charge of their learning and livelihoods,” she added.

Present at the signing, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, UN at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, said, “The UK-India relationship has flourished over many decades, expanding once again through our commitments in the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK’s future relations.”

Navtez Bal, executive director, Public Sector, Microsoft India, said, “Bridging the skills gap is foundational to building towards inclusive economic and societal progress in today’s digital economy. Beyond imparting digital skills, it is critical to provide holistic training content including soft skills to job seekers of tomorrow. We are excited to partner with British Council and have a deep impact on the country’s youth with in-demand skills for future-ready jobs.”

This unique partnership model enables the British Council and Microsoft to work at scale, leveraging existing and large delivery platforms of Microsoft Philanthropies. It aligns with the British Council’s Language and Empowerment and Education ‘Skills for young people and Leaders’ outcomes’, further reinforcing its commitment to fostering language proficiency and empowering the next generation.