The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) is a unique organization in the country. It was set up as per the recommendations of the National Education Policy 1986. The organization operates primarily as a coordinating body between the University Grants Commission (UGC), the State Government of AP, and universities. The council’s main responsibility is to coordinate and determine standards in higher education, research, scientific, and technical Institutes as per the guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission.
The Andhra Pradesh Government in conjunction with APSCHE wanted to take up skill development project for college students and unemployed youth in the state. This project is considered to be the biggest and first-of-its kind initiative by the state government. It aimed at accelerating the digital skilling of the youth, including the entire cohort of young graduates, thereby enabling their employability in today’s fast-paced era.
The project included access to the learning content on Microsoft’s learning resource center, Microsoft learn portal, customized video content, educational webinars, and industry certification courses from Microsoft and LinkedIn to name a few. These courses covered a broad range of emerging technologies, including cloud computing, AI, and data sciences among others.
APSCHE and Microsoft wanted to create a scalable skilling experience in collaboration with the higher education department and help students with hands-on experience in learning future-ready solutions. With the advent of industrial revolution 4.0 and technology democratization, this project was an education technology disruptor that would help students thrive in the digital economy and make a mark in the hybrid world.
Noventiq, a top-of-the-game channel partner, had trained and highly–skilled resources that could execute this project in a timely and cost-effective way. Noventiq’s technology team were in the trenches with APSCHE and Microsoft executives to roll out a streamlined solution that would equip students with Microsoft and LinkedIn globally-recognized certifications and hold them in good stead for the future. Noventiq made a winning proposition with an optimal business implementation plan, which got approved by APSCHE.
Noventiq proposed an end-to-end holistic, scalable solution that would give students access to learning content and curriculum, experiential learning via Azure Labs/exercises, and global certifications from Microsoft and LinkedIn.
Post-approval, Noventiq deployed the O365 A1 platform that provided authentication and access to the APSCHE site and SharePoint platform, enabling students to sign up, study, take mock tests, and prepare for certifications. Noventiq also enabled access to Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn subscriptions for their full course catalogs.
The implementation also facilitated Azure credits to equip students with hands-on training, which in turn, assisted them in building apps and exploring the world of AI and big data among other verticals. Further, the LinkedIn subscription provided access to over 86000+ courses across diverse sectors, such as creative arts, technology, and business sectors, enabling them to up their game in the ever-demanding technology landscape. Next, 400 University proctors were addressed to manage the drive at the ground level involving 162,000 students across the state with Microsoft technologies and LinkedIn soft skill training during the year.
Noventiq’s implementation resulted in delivering personalized learning paths and end-to-end capabilities in training, content creation, and certification to many students.
More than 18 universities and 300 colleges participated in this initiative, which included 36,000 students in the pilot project to date. 13 universities are in the process to become exam centers for Microsoft MTA and fundamentals certifications. Next, the venture plans to incorporate upskilling of up to 300,000 students in Andhra Pradesh. Shortly, Microsoft plans to offer support with campus selections for these students, thus giving them the leverage of internships and jobs as well.
This was a collective effort from Noventiq, Microsoft, and LinkedIn teams that enabled an entire digital learning management ecosystem for the state of Andhra Pradesh. Noventiq’s superior digital transformation skills in this visionary initiative resulted in a huge social impact of making the educated youth employment-ready. Noventiq’s implementation was also in line with the requirements of the job-ready workforce on the Central Government’s Skill India program.
This APSCHE project also serves as a yardstick that can be easily replicated across the education sector pan-India, and even globally.
Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Council for Education, Prof. K. Hemachandra, said: “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.”
Upskilling youth with future-ready education can have a positive impact on their lives and society too as a whole by improving employability, increasing innovation and creativity, promoting social mobility, driving economic growth, and creating better outcomes for society.
Noventiq enabled this pioneering initiative through the best-in-breed implementation of Microsoft and LinkedIn services with a minimal footprint. Noventiq continues to do so by handling the data, alignments, preparedness, and professional way of execution to date. Noventiq, therefore, accelerated the pace of innovation and set a benchmark that will help the youth tackle work-related challenges in the years to come.