Summary
Candidates will be offered programmes in Data Science and Digital Marketing disciplines along with 1:1 mentorship and coaching facilities
Mission to upskill 15,000 women learners across Bharat in the next three years
EdTech platform upGrad has launched 100% Vidya Shakti scholarships to encourage women to pursue learning and employment opportunities.
As a starter, upGrad commits to empower over 15,000 women candidates over the next three years with its courses that will be offered under the 100% and up to 70% fee waiver categories.
The scholarship aims to offer quality higher education to first generation and tribal women learners, women from the armed forces and police force, female NGO workers, female journalists across Tier 2 and lower cities, and female wards of defence and police personnel, along with blue-collared women candidates across Bharat.
The EdTech company has partnered with more than 10 NGOs including, SEWA Bharat, Vidya Poshak, Telangana Social Welfare Residential Degree College, Anvarat Foundation, VigyanShaala, Yuwa India, Eklavya Foundation and Welspun Foundation, for the inaugural batch of disadvantaged women who have been nominated for the scholarship programme based on their merit. These candidates will be offered upGrad programmes in Data Science and Digital Marketing disciplines along with 1:1 mentorship and coaching facilities that will help them develop requisite domain knowledge and industry-driven skill sets at zero cost.
“There's a significant gender disparity within the country, especially when it comes to receiving higher education, due to lack of opportunities or even social challenges. We want Indian women to flourish, with equal opportunities if not more. Our Vidya Shakti Scholarship is a sincere effort to make quality learning opportunities a reality for millions of women who are neither unaware of the opportunities nor given enough freedom to learn and grow as per their willingness. It's our endeavour to empower these women with the latest subject knowledge and skill-sets so that they can make informed career choices and attain economic independence,” said Sanjay Kumar, president — corporate affairs and public policy, upGrad.
The scholarship is designed to support women learners with the right job-ready skills and in-depth subject knowledge to accelerate female employment within the country.
These scholarships are extremely important as there is a huge gap between the skills that girls have and their aspirations. Secondary and higher education has increased tremendously among girls in the last 15 years and paradoxically the work force participation has fallen, one reason being that school and college education does not meet market needs.
“With upGrad's Vidya Shakti Scholarship, these girls, first generation learners, will be able to get jobs they aspire to,” said Renana Jhabvala, chairperson, SEWA Bharat.
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a serious blow to women learners across levels, especially the ones who were totally dependent on the offline system. Therefore, realising the criticality of the situation, the Vidya Shakti Scholarship is created with a mission to support million women candidates who come from the remotest parts of the country.
“The blueprint has taken shape and we are extremely proud to initiate this movement, which will drive positive social change and add value to these learners and their families. We want to enable the aspirational successes of our women learners, especially the ones who qualify as the first-generation learners of their families. While we have started the first leg of the program with a limited reach and will scale up this initiative over the next three years to make it a national programme. We want to empower India's women with world-class education for unleashing their highest potential,” said Mayank Kumar, co-founder and MD, upGrad.
Last updated on 08 Mar 2022
