The live one-on-one online learning platform WhiteHat Jr believes that upping employability is still possible despite the pandemic. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) partner announced on July 12th that they are training 12,500 coding teachers to present marketable skills with a solid international demand to its users.
Through this partnership, the 12,500 coding teachers will be upskilled over three years to grant job-ready skills to millions of Indian children. With the oncoming Industry 4.0 revolution focusing on automation, India has seen an extensive demand for skilled workers in areas like AI (artificial intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), automation, robotics, and coding across multiple platforms. Job openings are expected to increase in India for homegrown industry, even as India continues to be the leading provider of talented software engineers and developers for the globe.
“WhiteHat Jr was established with the vision of making every child a creator rather than being a consumer of technology in the digital age. By partnering with the esteemed NSDC, we will enable this vision to come to life for every child in India through creating a network of trainers in the country,” WhiteHat Jr CEO Trupti Mukker said.
Reviewing WhiteHat Jr.’s Progress:
Since 2020, WhiteHat Jr has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the online learning giant Byju, Byju acquiring whiteHat for Rs 2,240 crore (about US $300 million). Its staff of 11,000 teachers already conduct thousands of live coding, math, and music classes in English and India’s regional languages.
As part of Byju, WhiteHat Jr reviewed its thousands of classes available on a freemium model. The availability of free WhiteHat Jr. content is initially restricted to help students focus on their chosen class. Academic concepts are reinforced through short animated videos just 12 to 20 minutes long. Still, trained coding teachers will work with students individually to assess, strengthen skills, and help students through complex topics.
WhiteHat Jr.’s Partnership:
The announcement of the partnership between WhiteHat Jr and NSDC coincides with BYJU’S FutureSchool for international students. The FutureSchool is aimed at bridging passive and active learning. The ambitious program will blend coding with traditional math, science, language, fine arts, and music. Byju’s internationally-facing program is open to students in the USA, UK, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil.
NSDC Chief Strategy Officer Arun Pillai said, “NSDC endeavors to work with world-class organizations to make available their training capacities, knowledge, and innovation to students. We believe our partnership with WhiteHat Jr will help students acquire skill sets in emerging technologies.”
This partnership will enable many students to effectively participate in the fast-evolving social and economic spheres of life, Pillai added. Since its inception in 2010, NSDC has trained more than 2.5 crore people through its partnership with over 800 training partners and more than 11,000 training centers spread across 700 districts in the country.
NSDC has established 36 Sector Skill Councils and is implementing the government’s flagship skill development schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK), and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), among others.