ASAP aims to increase students’ employability
Ahmedabad-based Entigrity Pvt Ltd, which provides offshore staffing services to more than 600 accounting firms across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, is to train Kerala’s youth on cutting-edge skill sets and help increase their general employability in the BFSI and IT/ITES sector.
It has signed an MoU with the Government of Kerala and Additional Skill Acquisition Programme Kerala (ASAP) on 2 Aug 2022.
“ASAP Kerala focuses on making the youth of the state employable by equipping them with higher order skills. We offer in-demand courses, one of which is Enrolled Agent, which is certified by the Internal Revenue Service, US Department of Treasury,” said Dr. Usha Titus, Chairperson and Managing Director, ASAP Kerala.
“This provides a very good opportunity for students from Commerce and Management background to secure job roles in US taxation in top companies based in India,” Dr. Titus said on 13 Aug 2022.
“As a start to this, ASAP Kerala had signed an MoU with Entigrity to provide employment to 500 students in the next five years. This is part of the hire-and-train model which ASAP Kerala is adopting for courses in other sectors too.”
ASAP, a government-owned organization founded in 2012, aims to increase students’ employability and make it easier for them to find jobs. ASAP acts as a link between businesses and higher education.
When there is a demand, ASAP offers higher-order skill courses online and through its skill development centers in colleges, schools and Community Skill Parks. These courses are industry-led and curated. It aims to encourage the development of a mindset for problem-solving and a culture of product creation.
“Under this MOU agreement, we aim to provide employment to 500+ professionals across the state of Kerala in the coming two to three years,” elaborated Shawn Parikh, Founder, and CEO of Entigrity.
“We have recently opened our latest office in Cochin, where we aim to provide suitable opportunities and enhance the skillset of the talent pool available in Kerala.
“We have always been a purpose-driven company, and it feels wonderful to establish an association with a welfare program like the ASAP and been able to make a positive impact.
“We are delighted to embark on this journey and hope to make a positive impact in the coming years in the State and the country at large,” said Parikh.
The Asian Development Bank and Niti Aayog have ranked ASAP as one of the most successful and creative skill development interventions in the nation.
According to a 2019 state-wide assessment by Nielsen India Pvt Ltd, ASAP’s skill development programs have been successful in preparing students for the workforce and improving their employability.
With ASAP and Entigrity working closely over the next few years, it is bound to be a beneficial partnership for everyone involved, especially the youth of Kerala.
During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Entigrity hired close to 750 individuals and grew more than 200% in the last two years.
The company had also signed an MoU with the Gujarat Government in June this year and committed up to Rs.150 crores investment to generate employment to more than 3,000 individuals across Gujarat.
The organization has more than 1,250 people working across all levels. fiinews.com
