In a bid to address this skills gap and empower India’s workforce for a career in cybersecurity, Microsoft, on Tuesday, launched a cybersecurity skilling program that aims to skill over one lakh learners by 2022.
The program is designed to provide a hands-on experience to learners in the fundamentals of security, compliance and identity. Microsoft will conduct these courses along with its strategic consortium of partners, including Cloudthat, Koenig, RPS, and Synergetics Learning.
“The course modules are designed to support all levels of learners, regardless of where they are in their cybersecurity journey,” said Microsoft in an official release.
Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said: “Trust and security are at the heart of who we are as a company, and we work closely with governments, civil society and organisations across the world to help them stay secure. Investing in cybersecurity skilling and preparing the next generation of security leaders is a big part of that effort. Microsoft is deeply committed to democratise skilling for all and this program is a strong step in making cybersecurity skilling accessible and affordable for all.”
Rohit Agarwal, CEO, Koenig Solutions, said: “Koenig has been a Microsoft partner for over 20 years. Microsoft’s deep commitment to skilling is unparalleled in the IT world. Security is the keystone on which the future of IT hinges. We are, therefore, enthused to join this well-designed initiative. If we can achieve the goal of 100,000 learners, we would be proud to have played a significant role in the vision of Digital India.”
Prasad Balakrishnan, CEO & Executive Director, RPS Consulting, said: “Need for security literacy is at its peak. Also, security talent is not just a need of the hour, but an urgency. We strongly believe the ‘Get Secured, Get Certified’ campaign shall have a significant impact on employability and overall skill development aspirations. We are very happy to be part of the movement.”
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New certifications
The tech giant has introduced four new security, compliance, and identity certifications, of which, the accredited certification for fundamentals will be offered at zero cost for any individual who attends the associated training through this initiative. Additionally, in collaboration with its partners, Microsoft, learners will have “deeply discounted offers” on the remaining advanced role-based certifications.
“Security is an area where Microsoft is really the leader in terms of the depth and breadth of solutions. This program has really helped people get an introduction to the Microsoft Security suite and make a career out of it,” said Bhavesh Goswami, CEO, CloudThat Technologies.
Ajay Khankhoje, CEO, Synergetics Information Technology Services India Pvt Ltd, said: “As learning and development professionals, we have identified cybersecurity as a key area that is extremely important for successful digital transformation in the Indian enterprise world. This initiative from Microsoft will go a long way in bridging the skill gap and building the foundation of security for enterprise data centres in India.”
This partnership is an extension of Microsoft’s global skilling initiative to help 25 million people across the globe acquire new digital skills. More than three million people have been skilled in India through this initiative. The company is working closely with the government, industry, and civil society partners on several skilling initiatives.