TCS helps boost UK graduate employment prospects

UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) Study India Program supported by TCS and Tata group provides future talent an insight into how business is done in a globalized world
Joint public-private initiative committed to enhance employability skills and encourage social entrepreneurship

London, UK, September 13, 2012: Tata Consultancy Services (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading IT services, consulting and business solutions firm, announced its support to the Study India Program (SIP) 2012, a UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI). The program is designed to nurture the essential employability skills that businesses will look for in developing a best-of-breed workforce in an increasingly competitive global business environment. Through the UKIERI SIP, UK school-leavers and students visit India for four weeks during the summer months to engage in a combination of cultural and commercial opportunities. This will also include a week-long placement, to provide an insight into business operations in a global setting.

In the current difficult economic climate, both the private and public sectors share equal responsibility in ensuring that tomorrow’s workforce remain not only globally competitive but also help develop a global mindset with employability skills. The SIP is aimed at encouraging the youth to broaden their horizons at a critical stage in their lives, helping them to prepare for their future so that they feel inspired and empowered to excel as they embark upon their careers.

Shankar Narayanan, Director and Head of TCS in the UK and Ireland, said, “In the UK, we are committed to developing local talent and supporting and encouraging the new generation as they embark on their careers to equip them to be a part of a global workforce. The SIP is a part of our UK skills development initiatives that are geared toward helping to improve employability by encouraging social entrepreneurialism and a global mindset as well as strengthening knowledge through the world of work.”

Martin Davidson, CEO, British Council, said, “Today’s budding workforce will be the key to growing the global economy in the years to come. As our world becomes increasingly dependent on cooperation between different nations around the world, a global approach will be critical to deepening our relationships in order to maximize our nation’s competitiveness and overall prosperity. Innovation partnerships like the one that TCS is driving remain a strategic priority for the UK in our plans for economic development, so I welcome the time and effort the company is investing in this and encourage other private sector organizations to do the same.”

Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at the London Business School, said, “We mustn’t underestimate the opportunity we have to positively influence young people in the very early stages of their career development. Creative initiatives like this that bring together business best practice, culture and travel can be immensely powerful in helping to steer their mindset, guide them towards making the right choices and opening their eyes to new ideas.”

This year, 60 students on the UKIERI SIP will intern at TCS and 42 will work with Tata companies. An integral part of the curriculum, this placement aims to provide students who are enrolled in an undergraduate course at a further or higher education institution with a valuable and transferrable work experience as well as a global perspective on career opportunities - whether they work for a multinational company, a global organization, a local SME with a global supply chain, or set out as entrepreneurs.

The UKIERI SIP is distinctive in that it provides an opportunity for the wider UK education sector, including students and teachers, to benefit from the learning and experiences of the participating students. Having spent three weeks in India, a sub-set of around 30 students who have completed a work placement at one of the Tata companies will be selected as SIP Tata Ambassadors. As ambassadors, they commit to regular visits to UK secondary schools to share their experiences from India and mentor students on setting out on their career paths.

Additional Resources:
SIP Tata Ambassador case studies are available on request.

About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS)
Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that delivers real results to global business, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. TCS offers a consulting-led, integrated portfolio of IT, BPO, infrastructure, engineering and assurance services. This is delivered through its unique Global Network Delivery Model™, recognized as the benchmark of excellence in software development. A part of the Tata group, India’s largest industrial conglomerate, TCS has over 243,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 42 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $10.17 billion for year ended March 31, 2012 and is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India. For more information, visit us at www.tcs.com.

About the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI)
The UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) started in April 2006 with the aim of enhancing educational links between India and the UK. In the last five years, UKIERI has played a pivotal role in establishing a step change in the educational relations between the two countries. In recognition of the substantial achievements and building on the success of this initiative, the programme has been extended for 5 years from 2011 to 2016. The extension was announced by the UK Prime Minister Mr. David Cameron and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The initiative aims to intensify bilateral exchanges at all levels so that India and the UK become natural partners in education to shape a better world.

The key strands of UKIERI are:

1. Leadership Development

2. Innovation Partnerships

3. Skill Development

4. Enhancing Mobility

The above strands are supported with activities like bilateral policy dialogues; networking events and an annual India UK Education Forum which formally tracks progress on the programme.

For more information on UKIERI, visit us at www.ukieri.org.