British Council and Microsoft partner to improve employment prospects of 400,000 young Indians

British Council, the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural exchange and Microsoft India Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a co-developed three-year partnership programme, 'English Skills for Youth'. The programme aims to enhance the life opportunities of young people, aged 18-25, particularly women, in socio-economically marginalised communities across India.

The primary objective of the 'English Skills for Youth' project is to enhance employability opportunities for the youth. Microsoft and the British Council have co-developed this programme to impart one of the most in-demand skills –English language– to the students. 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. These skills are crucial for improving employment prospects and facilitating further education opportunities.

The English Skills for Youth solution will be integrated into rural engineering colleges linked to Microsoft’s existing NGO/partner skilling projects for the underserved. By adopting this innovative approach, the project seeks to benefit 60,000 youth and 600 teachers during the initial three-year pilot phase, with a long-term goal of reaching 400,000 young people engaged in Microsoft Philanthropies funded projects. The programme will focus on building English communication skills and soft skills to equip students to present themselves confidently at job interviews and/or sustain their jobs in companies with a global customer base.

The project has been designed to cover three key aspects:

• Capacity building of English faculty and placement officers in state engineering colleges across India.
• Facilitating the development of English skills for students, particularly women, adopting a community of practice approach through student club meetings.
• Establishing an interface with industry through joint thought leadership forums organised by Microsoft and the British Council, focusing on multilingualism in the workplace.

Alison Barrett MBE, Director India, British Council, said, “Enabling young people, particularly women, with life and employment opportunities is at the core of all our work in culture, education and English so we are delighted to announce the 'English Skills for Youth' programme with Microsoft India. 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. 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.”

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.”

“India and the UK are united in valuing the importance of a good education, which is why we are launching a new ‘English Skills for Youth’ programme. We aim to equip India's younger generation with the right skills to increase their focused chances of employment and prosperity - of young women and girls in particular.”

“I firmly believe that all young people, regardless of their background, should be able to access opportunities for a better future – and I commend the British Council and Microsoft India for their collaboration on this important initiative."

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 the British Council and have a deep impact on the country’s youth with in-demand skills for future-ready jobs.”