India: ICT Academy to help students prepare for IT careers

This effort will combine ICTACT’s I-Mentor program, a school-college mentoring program to nurture teachers and students in schools and colleges across Tamil Nadu, and the Oracle Academy’s Java Fundamentals curriculum and ‘Getting Started with Java Using Alice’ workshops to help foster student knowledge and interest in computer science, engineering and technology.

The I-Mentor program is designed to encourage students to go beyond ordinary school activities and build an aptitude to pursue IT industry jobs. The program seeks to strengthen interpersonal relationships among students, teachers, peers, and academicians.

Students and faculty in the I-Mentor program will be able to participate in training activities; have access to free downloadable software and curriculum; take part in school-level and regional-level student quizzes and competitions, as well as project showcases; and participate in career guidance and counseling programs.

The initial rollout will include the selection of 25 mentor engineering colleges (Oracle Academy members) to guide 75 schools during 2012.

 The Oracle Academy announced their new Java curriculum earlier this year as part of Oracle’s longstanding commitment to supporting education that helps students graduate with industry-relevant skills that prepare them for 21st century careers.

 Java is one of the world’s most popular computing platforms; it is used by more than 9 million developers and powers more than 3 billion devices. As the steward of Java, Oracle is committed both to the investment in Java technology and in creative ways to educate a new generation about Java and the opportunities it brings.

The Oracle Academy helps 1.9 million students in 97 countries, including 150,099 students from 441 educational institutions across India, gain industry-relevant skills prior to entering the workplace.

 “We have been working toward improving the quality of the talent pool emerging out of schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu to meet the needs of local industry. By working with Oracle India and the Oracle Academy and utilizing our I-Mentor program, we can help prepare highly skilled graduates and assist the growth of the ICT industry in the state. We look forward to working together to help create a strong base of industry-ready students equipped with the right skills to gain employment in this fast growing industry,” said B V Sivakumar, CEO, ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu.