As part of its ongoing efforts to foster an ecosystem that enhances India’s digital talent with the right set of skills, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) today launched FutureSkills PRIME Beta Platform. The platform was unveiled by Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM.

The programme will be offered as a robust online platform to encourage remote and self-paced learning. Many awareness-building modules will be free to access, allowing the maximum number of participations. Under the Programme, 4.12 lakh learners will get subsidised access to certified courses in any of the 10 identified emerging technologies (Artificial Intelligence, Internet of things, Big Data Analytics, Robotic Process Automation, Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing, Cloud Computing, Social & Mobile, Cyber Security, Augmented/Virtual Reality and Blockchain.)

On the launch of the platform, Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), said, “FutureSkills Prime platform comes just at the right time. As India continues to fight with the challenges posed by the impacts of the pandemic, which has further accelerated the pace of digital transformation, it has become an imperative for everyone to learn new skills on new age technologies. Most of the learning content available on the platform is curated by the Industry and is aimed at building digital fluency. Everyone today needs to develop digital awareness and fluency on new-age technologies because every sector is becoming digital be it healthcare, banking, manufacturing or retail. We hope to see every citizen signing up on this platform to avail these courses.”

Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM, said, “FurutreSkillsPRIME is yet another milestone for building digital talent as a competitive advantage for the industry. Reskilling and automation emerging as the future drivers of the industry, we aim to craft a new wave of growth and innovation through a digitally skilled pool of professionals.”

FutureSkills PRIME shows the commitment of the Government to drive a program to make India the global hub of talent in emerging technologies. The initiative has funded the creation of a digital learning platform, where learners can attain ‘digital fluency’ and get certified in industry-validated and government-approved courses.

The Programme also aims to benefit aspirants from tier-II and tier-III cities, including those from small and medium enterprises and women & youth who want to participate in the vibrant gig economy from the convenience of their homes/remote locations.

Salient Features of Future Skills PRIME:

• ‘Aggregator of Aggregators’ Framework – An online aggregator platform with expanded catalogues and multiple skilling options, facilitating self-paced & continuous learning. 
• Diagnostics – Registered candidates will be provided with a diagnostic of their aptitude and capabilities to guide their choices of learning content on the portal. 
• Industry Driven – Content will be created/curated directly by industry, thus ensuring its relevance to the job market and making it attractive for the learner. 
• Micro-credentials – The programme framework is focussed on creating a new skilling paradigm that creates value at every step. 
• Multiple Choice of Courses – Learner can go through courses that are online or blended, self-paced or instructor-led, paid or free and formal or non-formal. 
• Government Officers Training (GOT) & Training of Trainers (ToT) – The network of CDAC & NIELIT Centres across India would be leveraged for the training of Government officers and master trainers in the identified 10 technologies.
• NSQF Alignment – Course content eligible for incentives are provided by best-in-class training providers and will be aligned to the NSQF approved National Occupational Standards & Job Roles (level 5 & above), thus ensuring a level of standardisation and quality.
• Skills Passport – A unique concept of ‘skills passport’ is an integral feature of the Programme and any learning that an aspirant acquires during his/her re-skilling/up-skilling journey will be recorded & recognized. 
• Skill Wallet & Incentives – The Skills wallet would be an online digital wallet, which will keep track of candidate registration & redemption of incentives. This will be introduced to the by early next year.
• Soft/Professional Skills – The platform will also provide learning content on professional skills. People must learn how to work with each other and with machines.  

The platform goes live with a rich catalogue of free, formal & informal learning content on Emerging Techs & Professional Skills aimed at building digital awareness and fluency. This will be followed by a phase-wise roll-out of remaining modules of the platform that will include host of Industry aligned paid certification courses, SSC NASSCOM validated assessments, virtual instructor-led modes of learning, government incentive scheme registration, Diagnostic tool, virtual labs and much more.