The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu (ICTACT), under which ICTACT will become the nodal agency to administer NASSCOM’s skill development programs for teachers and students in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. This partnership will leverage NASSCOM’s industry-standard employment assessments and foundation skills curriculum to help students become industry-ready.
NASSCOM and ICTACT will also collaborate to conduct Faculty Development Programs (FDP) and Student Development Programs (SDP) in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. NASSCOM will provide the curriculum, courseware, and training methodologies for its outcome-based Global Business Foundation Skills (GBFS) and Foundation Skills in IT (FSIT) programs. ICTACT will use NAC for final-year non-technology students and NAC-Tech for final year engineering students to measure the impact of skill transference and help students gain employment in the IT-ITeS industry.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Som Mittal, President, NASSCOM, said, “We are happy to enter into a partnership with ICTACT. This initiative will help us meet the growing demand for industry-ready resources in an ever-evolving IT landscape. I am confident that this comprehensive partnership will provide immense value to students, industry, and academia.”
“This partnership will go a long way in enhancing the standard of college education and employability of talent in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to serve the needs of the booming knowledge industry. I thank NASSCOM for facilitating innovative educational initiatives in order to bring about greater equity in access to quality education and enabling more people to benefit from the opportunities promised by the high-growth IT and ITeS industry,” said Mr. Lakshmi Narayanan, Vice-Chairman, Cognizant Technology Solutions.
"ICTACT feels that NAC and NACTECH tests are common assessments which are in very much need for creating a homogeneous talent pool for entry level employment in IT-ITES industry. Hence as a pilot ICTACT, through this MOU, shall train select 10 colleges for this Academic year." opined Mr. M. Sivakumar, CEO, ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu.
Developed in collaboration with Indian IT and ITeS majors, NASSCOM Assessment of Competence - NAC-Tech and NAC are national-level assessments of competence for final year students and consist of a single common test that helps students and institutes to reach out to multiple companies. NAC-Tech and NAC are real-time, online assessments that facilitate the objective evaluation of individual skills and competencies for employment at the entry level.
NAC and NAC-Tech assessments, together with the GBFS and FSIT training initiatives, are aimed at creating a robust and continuous pipeline of talent by continuously assessing candidates on key skills and providing the necessary training interventions to help them improve their competencies for the future requirements of the sector.
About ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu
ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu is a non-profit autonomous organization focused on improving the quality of students graduating from institutes and colleges in Tamil Nadu and making them industry-ready and employable in the ICT industry comprising the ICT services and the ICT Manufacturing sectors. This will meet the skill requirements of the industry and generate more employment in the state, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities. ICTACT is governed by an autonomous board of directors with representations from the Government of Tamil Nadu (from the IT, Higher Education, Industry, Labor and Employment departments), leading ICT companies with a presence in Tamil Nadu, leading educational Institutions (including all government universities and other premier institutions) and industries.
About NASSCOM
NASSCOM (www.nasscom.in) is India's National Association of Software and Service Companies, the premier trade body and the chamber of commerce of the IT software and services industry in India. NASSCOM is a global trade body with over 1,200 members, of which over 250 are global companies from the US, the UK, EU, Japan and China. NASSCOM's member companies are in the business of software development, software services, software products, IT-enabled/BPO services and e-commerce. NASSCOM has been the strongest proponent of global free trade in India. NASSCOM is committed to work proactively to encourage its members to adopt world class management practices, build and uphold highest quality standards and become globally competitive. In India and around the world, NASSCOM members are participants in the new global economy and are reputed for their cutting-edge business practices and social initiatives.
