Microsoft India to train 1 million girls in Tech

In an effort to promote women in the tech sector, Microsoft India has launched an initiative through which the company will train one million girls and women in the next 12 months. The initiative called, ‘Women in Tech’, will help guide aspiring female tech professionals from the time they are in high school until they acquire a job in the sector or start their own IT company.

Bhaskar Pramanik, chairman, Microsoft India, told Times of India, “We are excited by the government of India’s Digital India vision. At Microsoft, we have been running various IT skill development and education programs for youth for over 20 years. With this new initiative, we want to focus on helping women who aspire to be IT professionals.”

Pramanik added that through the initiative, they hope to double the number of women currently in the IT industry in India (the figures today are close to one million.) “In the first year, our partners and we will train and mentor the next one million women and help them join, grow and succeed in the IT industry,” he said.

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According to Joseph Landes, chief evangelist, Microsoft India; the initiative aims at providing women with: awareness sessions, training and certification programs, and mentoring sessions. Landes also revealed that Microsoft Ventures also be mentoring 30 startup companies, owned by women and support them by helping them build connections with the start-up community in the country.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: Times of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Tech/Jobs/Microsoft-India-to-train-1-million-women-for-IT-industry/articleshow/43405213.cms