Leveraging learning to enhance industry readiness

The Infosys seeks to partner with academic institutions to enhance the pool of highly capable talent to support industry growth in its country of operation by leveraging learning to enhance industry readiness. Infosys has conceptualized several programs to enhance industry readiness and raise awareness of Computers and power of Information Technology. One such initiative is SPARK that built on the concept of student interaction and aims at raising the aspiration levels of students. This nation-wide unique program focuses on challenges and advances in Information Technology (IT). It enables students from high schools, colleges, engineering institutions, women's colleges, other discipline colleges and schools for the differently-abled from both urban and rural areas, to understand the needs of industry, and to check and calibrate their aspirations meter. This paper is about how the learning's have been leveraged to raise the aspirations of students and faculty members through the SPARK. The unique feature of the program is that, it is designed to be organized and managed completely by employee volunteers. SPARK is designed to be a one day program that comprises multiple events through which volunteers interact with students and share with them their accomplishments and experiences. The program features an interactive section on dreaming big, where students are allowed to explore the reach of their own minds. Another section takes this forward, giving them tools to realize their dreams. Spark also focuses on promoting gender sensitivity and sensitizes women students that there is no glass ceiling for accomplishment.