Noventiq India (formerly Softline) teams up with Microsoft and LinkedIn to upskill 300,000 students in Andhra Pradesh
Noventiq (formerly Softline) (LSE: SFTL), the global IT and digital transformation solutions and services provider, launched a new digital training platform today in partnership with Microsoft and LinkedIn, aimed at upskilling 300,000 students in the newly-formed state of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Softline Holding plc began trading under the brand name Noventiq after divesting part of its business in October 2022.
The platform has been one year in the making for Softline, Microsoft, and LinkedIn, and is able to deliver personalised learning paths and end-to-end capabilities in training, content creation, and certification to many students. On the podium at the launch event was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy, along with representatives from Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Softline’s leadership teams.
To date, over 18 universities and 300 colleges have signed up to participate in the program, reflecting the enormous demand for hard skills in key technologies from institutes and students alike. During the pilot phase of the programme, 36,000 students participated in courses and certified successfully. It is anticipated that the solution rolled out in APSCHE can be replicated across all educational institutes which work in higher education throughout the country, and even globally. The project is a key initiative by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to support the students and help them be ready to be employed.
Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Council for Education, Prof. K. Hemachandra, commented:
“This large-scale project will have an enormous impact on upskilling and the overall quality of graduates produced in Andhra Pradesh. We believe this initiative will put us on track to be a key knowledge provider, and the skills on offer will inspire other educational institutions to follow suit.”
Vinod Nair, Managing Director of Softline India and Global Sales VP, touched on the pioneering nature of the initiative:
“We are honoured to be part of this visionary initiative by the Government, and are glad that Softline´s skills in Digital Transformation are tested in not only a genuine project but also a plan that will have a huge social impact of making fresh graduates’ employment ready. This launch represents a collective effort from Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Softline´s teams. I’m proud of Softline India’s role in creating an entire digital learning management system for students in Andhra Pradesh.”
The training programme itself consists of video content, access to the APSCHE site and SharePoint platform (allowing students to enroll on the Microsoft technology course they wish to attend), and a platform which enables students to sign up, study, take mock tests, and prepare for certification. Students also receive access to Microsoft 365 and a LinkedIn subscription to their full catalogue of courses.
Participating students enjoy the opportunity to enroll on over 40 courses on Microsoft Learn, focusing on key skills including AI, cloud computing, and coding, as well as familiarising themselves with Microsoft solutions such as Azure, M365, Dynamic 365. Students also receive access to over 8,600 LinkedIn courses which help them to develop their business, creative, and technical skills.
While Softline operates in over 60 countries worldwide, the company’s presence in India has seen considerable strengthening through the organisation´s commitment to recruit specialists in the region as part of its recently announced innovation growth initiative.
Media contact
Rocio Herraiz
Head of Global Communications
rocio.herraiz@noventiq.com
Eve Frayling
Pagefield PR agency
softline@pagefield.co.uk
+44 (0)7896 540438
