The Customer Experience Company

IT & BPO CompaniesCSR Initiatives in EducationNamrata Rana

Source : http://www.worldliteracyfoundation.org/The_Economic_&_Social_Cost_of_Illiteracy.pdfhttp://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-04-11/news/31324908_1_illiteracy-poverty-illiterate-people

illiteracy costs India over $53 billion a year

800 million people across the world lack the basic reading and writing skills needed to accomplish simple tasks such as reading a medicine label or filling out a job application, costing the global economy more than $ 1.19 trillion a year

About 270 million people aged 15 years and older still remain illiterate in India, despite the country making major progress in cutting down the

number of school drop-outs over the years.

Literates constituted 74 per cent of the total population in India aged seven and above, and illiterates form 26 per cent, as per the provisional data of the 2011 census.

Among the working youth, approximately one in four is illiterate, and fewer than one in five completes secondary education.

Source : http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-04-17/news/31355591_1_teacher-training-secondary-education-education-deficit

The education deficit, is not filled by technical or vocational education and training, as only six per cent of urban youth and three per cent of rural youth attend technical or vocational training at the secondary level.

The Indian IT and BPO industry provides direct employment to about 2.8 million, and indirectly employs 8.9 million people.

Most of them invest in educational initiatives of different types as part of their CSR initiatives.

IT companies and their initiativesThe companies studied are listed on the right side. The information on activities mentioned are sourced from the annual sustainability reports or the CSR section on their website.

IT CompaniesTCSInfosysWiproHP IndiaCognizantIBM IndiaHCL TechCiscoOracleDellIntelAccentureSAPMahindra SatyamTech MahindraMicrosoftMphasis

Tata Consultancy Services

Adult Literacy Program Literacy Camps imparted literacy through TCS’ Computer Based Functional Literacy method to 11,141 people.

University Alliance Programme TCS connects with a number of academic institutions in India and in other countries to fund research in basic and applied sciences. This program is now in its fourth cycle, with over 80 PhD scholars enrolled from more than 26 institutions across the country.

TCS IT Wiz An annual event organised and executed by TCS associates to create IT awareness among school children. The event reaches out to over 200,000 school students from 5000 schools in 12 cities across India.

InsighT This program aims at providing an overview of the IT industry so as to encourage students to explore IT as a career. InsighT reached 1352 students in 15 schools across India.

The TCS Employability Programme TCS provides training in English Speaking, soft skills and computer skills. Students who participate in the training and pass TCS standard of proficiency are then offered positions within the company. TCS trained 7828 candidates of which 717 were inducted into TCS.

Advanced Computer Training Centre TCS has set up the Advanced Computer Training Centre to improve employability for visually impaired individuals. In less than 4 years 99 people have been trained and 66 employed. Source : CSR Report 2011-2012. http://

www.tcs.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/About%20TCS/TCS_Corporate_Sustainability_Report_2011-12_3.pdf

InfosysInfosys as part of their Promoting education and research focuses on Digital empowerment the program SPARK is aimed at raising the aspirations of students.

Campus Connect CC helps align the needs of institutions, faculty and students, with those of the IT industry, to raise the employability of engineering students. During 2011-12, CC engaged with 474 engineering institutions to train 1,400 faculty members, who in turn trained over 31,000 students.

Project Genesis This project helps in bridging the skill gap between industry requirements and non-engineering graduate education. The project enabled 16,762 students by training 365 academicians from 138 institutes.

Spark Rural Reach Program This program aims at encouraging rural children from classes V to VII to pursue studies in science and math, basics of computers and related subjects and become part of the IT revolution. This program has benefitted over 212,929 children across the country this year.

Catch Them Young This is a two-week program designed to expose bright urban youth to the IT world by conducting a summer vacation workshop at our campuses in India. Through this program, infosys has reached out to nearly 466 children in the last 12 months.

Spark GURU This is an initiative that helps teachers augment their knowledge and enhance their teaching skills with respect to the current industry needs and requirements. The program targets teachers from rural areas.

Source : Sustainability Report 2011-2012. http://www.infosys.com/sustainability/Documents/infosys-sustainability-report-2011-12.pdf

MicrosoftMicrosoft India carries out various education activities in collaboration with state governments and NGOS across India under the corporate citizenship initiative.

Microsoft Student Partner Program The Microsoft Student Partners (MSPs) program offers technical training, and opportunities. Microsoft enages MSPs in developing tools and industry-defining software applications.

Project Jyoti Project Jyoti, Microsoft’s Community Technology Skills Program that focuses on educating underserved communities to use basic computing skills to advance their economic well-being, including getting a job and starting a business.

Bihar Urban Development Authority (BUDA) Collaborates with Microsoft Learning Provide a certified IT training Program for the underprivileged, enabling them to secure a job. Under this project BUDA has chosen 41 organisations to train the 17,000 individuals in the state. The training sessions are conducted across 400 locations spanning across all 38 districts of Bihar.

Other Programs A total of 103 other programs are listed over here http://www.microsoft.com/india/msindia/hipages/project_shiksha_motivated_teacher.aspx

Source : Microsoft, Corporate Citizenship http://www.microsoft.com/india/msindia/hipages/microsoft-student-partner-program.aspx http://www.microsoftstudentpartners.com/

WiproThe intent of these initiatives is to improve the quality of education in schools.

School Program Wipro ‘Applying thought in school’ program focuses on improving the quality of education in schools. Some activities under this are listed below.

-Wipro has built a partner network of 30 of India’s foremost educational organizations- Wipro supports social organizations (supporting 12 partners in organization development through project support)- Wipro has worked with around 2000 schools and 10,500 educators across 17 states reaching around 800,000 students- Wipro has supported 10 people on Wipro Education Fellowship since 2007- Currently, Wipro is engaged in projects with around 700 schools across the country in collaboration with 22 partners

Source : Wipro, Sustainability section http://www.wipro.com/about-wipro/sustainability/

IntelThe Intel® Education Initiative in India has been working with government and other decision making bodies at the central, state and local levels since 1999 to improve teaching and learning in both formal and informal educational environments through the effective use of technology.

K-12 education Through the Intel® Teach Program over a million teachers have been trained to bring technology tools and resources into their classrooms for better student learning.

Education beyond classroomsOver 100,000 learners, aged 8 to 16, in underserved communities across India, have acquired technology literacy through the Intel® Learn Program.

Science competitionsSince 1999, brilliant young minds have won national and international recognition through Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science (IRIS), the largest science initiative in India, co-sponsored by Intel.

Higher education Under the Intel® Higher Education Program, Intel works with leading scientific and technological institutes to move technology out of university labs and into local communities through research grants, technology entrepreneurship forums, and mentoring by Intel technologists.

Source : Intel, Corporate, Education http://www.intel.com/cd/corporate/education/apac/eng/in/239067.htm

MphasisMphasiS works with the voluntary sector in implementing projects. They involve employees, clients, and other stakeholders, and encourage them to actively contribute their skills, time and expertise to such initiatives.

Nannagu Shale (A School for Me Too) To address the employment needs of persons with disabilities, MphasiS, has developed an intervention program which can enable inclusion of children with disabilities in to the society, ensuring their right to education.

Aalamba Program Aimed at youth who are school drop outs MphasiS aims to empower over 300 such youth with employment and skills training, and support with employment exchange services. They also aim to support 30 bright young people in developing their own enterprises, as part of the business and employment co-operative, within one year of training.

i-Lead Another similar program to impart employability training for dropout youth from marginalized communities living in rural and urban areas of Chennai is also being conducted. Three months training is given in ITeS, automobile mechanism, electrician, and hospitality.

Nurture Merit MphasiS provide assistance in the form of college fees, examination fees, tutorials, and coaching for meritorious and needy students. Books, computer facilities, career guidance, and training is also provided.

Source : Mphasis, Corporate Social Responsibility, Community Initiatives http://www.mphasis.com/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/community-initiatives.asp

AccentureAs part of Local Grant Giving Projects initiative Accenture partners with local nonprofits to provide underprivileged people with skills training in high-demand sectors. All programs in India are implemented through its Skills to Succeed program:

Dr. Reddy’s Foundation Accenture supports Dr. Reddy’s Foundation in implementing a sustainable model of vocational skilling across India, thereby enabling the organization to equip and support many underprivileged youth. Don Bosco Tech Through this partnership with Don Bosco Tech and ITC Welcomgroup Hotels, Accenture aims at training thousands of disadvantaged youth and helping them become employable in the hospitality sector.

QUEST Alliance, Hope Foundation and Aide et Action A market-relevant curriculum developed by QUEST Alliance and Accenture is used to deliver the retail skills training that helps students to secure jobs on completion of the program.

Business school for illiterate women Accenture partners with the Mann Deshi Foundation and The British Asian Trust to provide training in technical, financial and marketing skills to marginalized women who have no formal education and to girls who have dropped out of high school.

Source : Accenture, Company, India Corporate Citizenship http://www.accenture.com/in-en/company/Pages/india-corporate-citizenship.aspx

Mahindra Satyam

Mentoring of students by Magnificent Seven Teams (M7): Magnificent Seven (M7) teams regularly mentor school children during weekends in government schools/corporation schools. Volunteers teach basics of computers, Spoken English, Hygiene, Math, Science, Time Management and Career Guidance. KidSmart Mahindra Satyam volunteers support these camps and ensure that the activities are implemented smoothly.

Notebook Distribution Mahindra Satyam Foundation donates notebooks to underprivileged students.

Computer Distribution / Literacy More than 1,000 computers have been distributed to Government/IT/Corporation schools. Mahindra Satyam volunteers conduct Computer training classes for both teachers and students at these schools/institutes.

Motivational Tours Mahindra Satyam Foundation organizes motivational tours for disadvantaged sections of the society to places of interest like Museums, Technology Centers, Planetarium etc.

Inter-School Competitions/Celebrations Awareness programs on issues like global warming, health and hygiene, activities such as essay writing, sports and games, painting competitions, fancy dress competitions, etc are organized.Source : Mahindra Satyam, Social Responsibility

http://www.mahindrasatyam.com/social-responsibility/educationnew.asp

Source : Cognizant, About Us, Sustainability Report http://www.cognizant.com/aboutus/SiteDocuments/Cognizant_Sustainability_online.pdf

Cognizant

Be a TeacherThis program recruits volunteers to teach classes at neighborhood schools. Some 120 volunteers are teaching in 10 schools, reaching 1,200 students. volunteers have increased pass rates by 10-30% at 5 schools in India.

Educate a villageThis program is a partnership between Cognizant and AID India to set up study centers in 25 villages in Tamil Nadu.

Street Children Empowerment ProgramVolunteers visit with homeless children at 3 centers in Chennai to take students on field trips and lead story telling, math puzzle, and hygiene sessions.

Talhunt Talhunt is a interschool cultural competition. In 2011, some 18,000 students from 59 schools competed to showcase their creative abilities. Winning schools receive financial aid to help improve their facilities.

Infrastructure projectsProjects such as renovating classrooms and building libraries, computer labs, science labs, and sports facilities, have been completed at schools and other locations, through a combination of volunteer labor and Cognizant donations. Cognizant has sponsored 146 such infrastructure projects in India in 2011.

Notebook Drives This program sis conducted by Outreach volunteers distributed free notebooks to over 66,000 children in 2011—and 120,000 children in the past three years.

HCL TechnologiesPower of One is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative that is unique to HCL Technologies.

Library Drives: Encouraging a love for reading HCLT Foundation conducted a book collection drive where employees were encouraged to donate storybooks and notebooks. While a library was established and inaugurated in one school, 1000+ books were distributed in another. Through this effort, 2000+ books were collected for 15,000 school children in rural Karnataka. Teach at Office Through this programme support staff are provided with a range of workshops on basic etiquette, financial management, expected professional behavior and awareness initiatives on health and hygiene. Staff are also taught basic computer skills and trained in conversational English.

Source : HCL Tech, Socially Responsible Business section http://www.hcltech.com/socially-responsible-business/repay-society/snapshot-power-one-activities

IBMThese activities are part of IBM’s Corporate Citizenship initiatives

IBM Reinventing Education Program The initiative has helped over 50 government schools in underdeveloped rural and urban areas to transform teaching by integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and pedagogy tools in a way that makes science, math and English simple and fun. The Transformed Classroom model has empowered over 600 teachers and benefitted about 7000 children in more than 90 schools in the two states.

In 2012 – 2013, the Reinventing Education program is expanding to Government and Municipal Corporation Schools in the States of Ahmedabad, Rajasthan, and Haryana, and Municipal corporation schools in the cities of Coimbatore and Madurai, Tamil Nadu. By training the trainers, the program is expected to reach over 1000 teachers and nearly 200 schools across these four states.

Smart Rural Aggregation Platform A rural entrepreneurs information hub equipped with WiFi and IT infrastructure has been set up in five villages. Agribusiness advisory services, as well as basic computer training and other appropriate skills training, has been conducted. Drishtee Foundation and IBM volunteers interact with the farmers community to understand the needs and offer more services in the coming years.

Source : IBM, Responsibility, Citizenship, Profiles, India http://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/downloads/profiles/Profile_India.pdf

HP

From the website it is difficult to determine exact nature / no of India Initiatives. Hence only the following 2 are mentioned here:

India: i-community Hewlett-Packard and the southern India state government of Andhra Pradesh have launched a three-year alliance to accelerate socioeconomic development of a rural area. Expected offerings include connectivity to local schools, colleges and youth educational services and vocational training through direct and distance learning.

Education Innovation Fund HP’s Education Innovation Fund in India, includes a $1 million grant to the Sri Aurobindo Society.

Source : HP, CSR http://www8.hp.com/us/en/pdf/hp_csr_full_lo_tcm_245_1357665.pdf

Source : HP, Global Citizenship, Society, Social Innovation http://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/social-innovation/education-innovation-fund.html

HP as part of the social innovation initiative has the following programs under education globally:- HP Catalyst- HP Innovations in Education Funds- Empowering entrepreneurs- HP LIFE- Social Innovation Relay- Personalized Learning- LearningMyWay

OracleOracle Education Foundation has various education programs that operate globally.

Technology Education Programs - Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (India)- ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu (India)- Institute of Electronic Governance (India)- Directorate of School Education, Government of Puducherry (India)- Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (India)- Delhi Public School Society (India)

ThinkQuest International Competition In FY11 and FY12, this global competition challenged students in India to solve real-world problems using technology.

Source : Oracle, Corporate, Citizenship, Education http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/citizenship/education/partnerships/index.html Source : Cisco Systems http://csr.cisco.com/cdnorigin/media/documents/Project-Samudaya-Executive-Brief_129741598682383391.pdf

Cisco Systems Project Samudaya Cisco has built 2 schools under Project Samudaya in Chennai. At village schools, students interact with teachers hundreds of kilometers away through the CEED platform. The Cisco® Education Enabled Development (CEED) platform enables remote education to school children, imparting lessons in English, math, science. A total of 4 schools are networked for remote classroom sessions. 500 students received remote classroom instruction three days per week. Cisco donated computers to 11 schools in the five adopted villages.

Cisco has adopted villages devastated by 2009 Flood in India, Delivering Quality Healthcare and Education Through Network Technology

DellAs part of their “Youth Learning” initiative Dell has partnered with Cristel House.

The India Christel House and Dell The India Christel House, with Dell’s help, has been able to sustain programs such as the Culver Summer School and Camp. In 2008, the India Christel House was selected for one of the inaugural Dell Youth Learning grants addressing the technology gap. This unique program offers 9- to 17-year-olds a supportive and challenging learning environment.

Source : Dell, Corporate Responsibility, Community http://www.dell.com/Learn/us/en/uscorp1/corp-comm/cr-diff-india-christel-house?c=us&l=en&s=corp&delphi:gr=true

Source : SAP, Corporate Social Responsibility http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/sustainability/corporate-social-responsibility.epx#solutions

SAPSocial Sabbatical: Leveraging Talent SAP employees are making a difference through a new model for leadership development and social impact. SAP volunteers help high school students think like entrepreneurs and expand their thinking about the future.

Internet Access in India: A Model for Change Rural village in India has gained access to computerized records and vital local services with the help of this innovative project using SAP technology.

As part of sustainability, SAP strategically invests in talent, technology, and capital to enhance education.

Tech MahindraTech Mahindra initiatives are carried out by Tech Mahindra Foundation. The Tech Mahindra Foundation was launched to address the educational needs of the underprivileged, especially children, as well as espouse the cause of women's empowerment in education.

Tech Mahindra Foundation The Foundation has tie-ups with non-governmental organizations (NGOs, not-for-profit ventures) based in Delhi-Noida, Maharashtra and Karnataka. These partnerships help promote programs that enable the underprivileged to become self-reliant and responsible contributing citizens. The Foundation also supports women empowerment programs through vocational, technical and professional education at all levels. Shikshak Samman AwardsThe Tech Mahindra Foundation in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi announces the Shikshak Samman Awards for 2010-11, to honor outstanding teachers working in Municipal schools.

Source : Tech Mahindra, About Tech Mahindra http://www.techmahindra.com/about_tech_mahindra/Foundation_Partners.aspx Source : Ingram, About Ingram Micro http://www.ingrammicro.com/us/0,,22965_15106_23017_15108,00.html

IT Companies Education Partner

Computer Education

Business Education

STEM Education

Adult Literacy

Vocational Training

Financial Aid

Competition Events

Others

TCSInfosysWiproHP IndiaCognizantIBM IndiaHCL TechCisco SystemsOracleDellIntelAccentureSAPMahindra SatyamTech MahindraMicrosoftMphasis

Indian IT companies and their education initiatives

STEM - Science, technology, engineering, math. Education Partner - Primary, Secondary, Higher Education. Donation of Toys, Books, Computers. Development of School Infrastructure. Scholarships.

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