NSDC partners HCLTech to transform job markets from qualification-based to skill-based hiring

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) today announced a partnership with Indian technology company HCLTech. 

The partnership comes on the heels of the recent G20's Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting, which reached a consensus on key areas such as Digital Skilling, Digital Economy, and Digital Public Infrastructure.

What is the aim of the partnership?

According to the company's statement, the partnership aims to bridge the skills gap, especially in the tech and engineering domains. Both companies will work towards promoting technology adoption among learners of varied backgrounds and tap into new global markets and business ventures, the release said.

Revolutionizing digital learning 

Through this partnership, both companies plan to introduce digital evaluations for both tech and non-tech courses. Additionally, the partnership holds potential for the development of innovative products and programs to enhance talent scalability and flexibility.

A significant emphasis will be on amplifying the learning impact by jointly curating industry-relevant resources and tools. 

Praising this initiative, Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, NSDC, said, “NSDC and HCLTech are entering into this partnership with a commitment to enhance the trust in job markets. Both organizations will jointly develop an assessment platform where students and working professionals can get themselves assessed and certified for skills in demand. This is a significant step towards moving from qualification-based hiring to skill-based hiring. Both parties will also collaborate to offer reskilling, upskilling online courses to prepare for opportunities in a dynamic job market.”

What's next?

As part of the agreement, NSDC and HCLTech will jointly leverage each other’s technical and domain expertise in the Assessment platform, Assessment & hiring test (both tech and non-tech), Smart labs (coding and data science), Learning programs, Faculty development & certification programs, and Advisory services for government and institutions.

Additionally, both parties will also collaborate in creating joint IPs for digitalizing and digitizing assessments, covering the wider landscape of skilling as well as educational ecosystem and engage in advisory services and positioning tech solutions.

Srimathi Shivashankar, Corporate Vice President and Global Head, EdTech Business, HCLTech, said, “We are delighted to join forces with NSDC to leverage digital technologies to build a future-ready talent ecosystem for India and the rest of the world. I am confident that HCLTech’s proven Career Shaper learning and assessments platforms and NSDC experience in talent and nation building can make a significant impact in how technology can be smartly used for skilling.” 

What does NSDC do?

NSDC is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) that aims to catalyze the creation of a large and quality vocational training ecosystem in India. Since inception, NSDC has trained over three crore people in different sectors through its collaboration with training partners pan India.

The firm has established 37 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and implements the Government’s flagship skill development schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), among others.

It also funds enterprises, companies and organizations that provide skill training. The organization enables private-sector capacity building in skill development by offering concessional loans, other innovative financial products, and strategic partnerships.