Furthering its commitment to empower and enable girls through technology and build greater diversity and gender equality in the IT-BPM sector, Microsoft India has launched Youth Spark Code <A> Career program in two Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Delhi. This program will be conducted in partnership with NASSCOM Foundation, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Government of Delhi’s Directorate of Training and Technical Education (DTTE). The program was announced at the Jija Bai Institute for Women at Siri Fort, New Delhi – one of the benefitting ITIs – in the presence of the leadership from across all four organizations, including Sh. Manoj Kumar, IAS, Director DTTE Delhi and Clement Chauvet, Chief, Skill and Business Development – UNDP. Yvonne Thomas, Global Director, Microsoft Philanthropies, Shrikant Sinha, CEO NASSCOM Foundation.

The “CODE <A>CAREER” program is aimed at enhancing the employability of girls and young women studying under the Computer Operator and Programming Assistant (COPA) course in the Delhi Government run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).It will also leverage the existing strengths of the government ITI system to better deliver training and course implementation, focus on building capacities of their teaching faculty, enhance and establish industry connects for the ITIs as an integral component to reinforce learning and all-round development of students.