IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) have reached an agreement to explore how the organizations can build technology skills across the telecom sector ecosystem in India. The organizations plan to provide students and young professionals with a program designed to train them in emerging technologies, including big data, cloud, IoT & mobile application development, which are critical for today’s telecom sector.

Under the program, IBM and TSSC plan to develop an innovative curriculum, designed by technology experts from IBM and domain specialists from TSSC. Students will have access to relevant IBM software and platforms, including IBM Cloud, IBM Watson IoT platform, Big Data Solutions as well as mobile application development tools.

Upon the successful completion of the program, students and young professionals will be certified by IBM Career Education and TSSC. Currently, TSSC is the only Sector Skill Council offering these IBM courses.

Commenting on the collaboration, Lt. Gen. (Retired) and CEO of Telecom Sector Skill Council SP Kochhar said, "We are delighted to partner with IBM in our endeavor to train and skill India’s youth, boost growth and productivity in the Telecom sector. We believe IBM’s resources will enable telecom sector professionals with new-age capabilities and narrow the existing gap between demand and supply of skills."

"Our collaboration with TSSC reiterates IBM's commitment to spur innovation in India through emerging technologies. As a part of this initiative, we will work closely with TSSC to enable its partner organizations across the country with the right training and technologies to support the growing needs of the Indian Telecom Sector. We are confident that this partnership will help bridge the skills gap and prepare young Indian professionals for the new collar jobs of today and those to come in the future," said Karan Bajwa, Managing Director, IBM India Pvt. Ltd.

Students and young professionals can apply for the program directly through TSSC partners. Each course is one-week long, with the program commencing August 2017.