Passport to Earning certifies 1 million youth in India with digital & financial skills in first year
The initiative prepares young people with skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and social impact
NEW DELHI, 12 October 2023 — Generation Unlimited's global skilling solution Passport to Earning (P2E) has skilled and certified more than a million young people in India in areas of financial literacy and digital productivity. This milestone marks a major step towards helping youth gain skills relevant for the future of work and life. Notably, 62 per cent of all young learners who benefitted from P2E courses in India are adolescent girls and young women.
Launched globally by Accenture, Dubai Cares, Microsoft and UNICEF, P2E began activation in India in October 2022, with additional support from Capgemini in India. Operating under Generation Unlimited, the digital learning platform, built on Microsoft’s Community Training platform, aims to deliver long-term sustainable skilling for 5 million youth (14-29 years) in India by 2024, and then connect them to opportunities in job, self-employment and entrepreneurship to be financially independent.
In India, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, P2E provides free access to certificate courses in digital productivity, financial literacy, employability skills, and other in-demand, job-ready skills. The P2E solution also offers provisions for online, hybrid, and offline learning models.
To commemorate the milestone of one million certifications, UNICEF and YuWaah (Generation Unlimited India) hosted an online event on 11 October, the UN International Day of the Girl Child. The event was attended by Dr. Krishna Kumar Dwivedi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India; Hon Nitesh Kumar Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS), Government of India; Ms Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative to India; Ms Dhuwarakha Sriram, Chief, Generation Unlimited in India (YuWaah), Youth Development and Partnerships, UNICEF; Mr Kevin Frey, CEO, Generation Unlimited at UNICEF; and other P2E partners; along with a video message by Hon Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy, Government of India.
The event spotlighted stories of resilience, courage, and determination of girls and young women from across India who have benefitted from the P2E programme to drive change in their communities.
Anjaly, a mother of two from Kerala, rejoined the workforce after a gap of ten years with her P2E certification in Digital Productivity. Fifteen-year-old Muskaan from Bihar overcame gender bias and connectivity challenges to learn financial skills. “I want young women to learn money management skills so that they are more confident and employable”. Mary, a twenty-year-old undergraduate student from Meghalaya, used her newfound digital skills to help small businesses in her village. Seventeen-year-old Prashansa Uniyal in Dehradun visited Government schools, motivating more than 500 students to get certified in digital skills highly relevant to access opportunities in the 21st century. “I want to empower as many young people as possible with vital skills that will help them achieve their full potential,” she said.
Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative to India, said, "At UNICEF, we believe when girls and young women are equipped with tools, skills, and economic opportunities, they become an unstoppable force for a more inclusive and prosperous world. We are delighted that the Passport to Earning (P2E) program has reached the milestone of training a million young people in its first year, with 62% of the learners being young women. Aligned with the Government of India's vision to drive progress through 'Nari Shakti' (woman power), the P2E program is dedicated to creating pathways for young women to enable their transition from learning to earning by connecting them with the right skills and opportunities to succeed and to lead the world to Agenda 2030.”
Speaking on the occasion, Hon Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy, Government of India, said, "I am happy to note that UNICEF’s Passport to Earning (P2E) initiative uses technology to build 21st century skills for holistic development of young people. The results speak for themselves: P2E has achieved 1 million+ course completions by 1 million unique young people in just 11 months since its launch. A big congratulations to all stakeholders who are a part of this journey."
Dr. K K Dwivedi, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Govt of India, said, "Hon’ble Prime Minister often remarked that skill development of youth is a national need and is the foundation of Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat. I commend the efforts made by UNICEF India, YuWaah and partners for building the Passport to Earning (P2E) program. It is an important initiative to encourage collaboration between the Government, private sector, and civil society in nurturing a future-ready young workforce."
Hon Nitesh Kumar Mishra, Joint Secretary of the Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS), Government of India, emphasized the strong partnership between MoYAS and UNICEF (YuWaah) that has yielded numerous successful initiatives empowering young people. He stated, "Building upon the success of our previous initiatives, we have extended our partnership to provide youth access to essential skills, including digital skills, financial literacy, and employability skills, through the Passport to Earning (P2E) initiative. We take great pride in being part of P2E's journey toward achieving 1 million course completions."
“Young people everywhere, especially girls and women, need access to in-demand skills to secure jobs, build businesses and improve their livelihoods,” said Kate Behncken, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Philanthropies. “We’re proud to be a founding partner of the Passport to Earning initiative with UNICEF and Generation Unlimited. Passport to Earning, built on Microsoft’s Community Training platform, is an example of how technology can be used in transformative ways to bring education and skilling opportunities to young people around the world.”
"We believe that a focus on skills can open doors to a better future when rooted in and combined with the power of technology. We are proud to be a founding partner of Passport to Earning and are truly inspired by the tremendous impact of helping create a world where learning is accessible to and inclusive of all," said Jill Huntley, Managing Director for Corporate Citizenship at Accenture.
“Our youth, especially young women, deserve equitable access to essential tools and opportunities necessary for their success. The Passport to Earning (P2E) initiative serves as an effective platform to provide these vital resources. On this International Day of the Girl in 2023, we celebrate and honour the remarkable journeys of young women and girls who are forging paths of achievement in diverse fields”, said Ashwin Yardi, CEO of Capgemini in India.
"This milestone demonstrates what can be achieved when public and private sectors, the UN, young people and civil society partner to create solutions for the 21st century globally and in India. Through tailored, relevant curricula and certifications, we prepare youth to excel as employees, entrepreneurs, and changemakers in a digital era," said Kevin Frey, CEO of Generation Unlimited, and Dhuwarakha Sriram, Chief of Generation Unlimited in India (YuWaah).
