CioreviewIndia team | Thursday, 04 March 2021, 10:54 IST
Power and automation technology major ABB India NSE -1.11 % on Thursday said it has collaborated with Lila Poonawalla Foundation to build future women leaders in technology.
"ABB India has partnered with Lila Poonawalla Foundation (LPF) on a holistic merit-cum-need based scholarship programme for meritorious girls from economically challenged backgrounds, to give them an opportunity to realise their dreams in the field of technology,” an ABB India statement said.
Through this holistic programme, ABB will support the higher education and skill development for 100 girls, selected by Lila Poonawalla Foundation, every year , it said.
Lila Poonawalla Foundation is a non-governmental organisation promoting professional education amid aspiring girls through scholarships and guidance in India.
The selected candidates are endowed with the necessary support to pursue an engineering degree and develop core skills and competencies required to be future-ready, without having to worry about financial constraints.
This programme covers proposals that go beyond academics in order to equip these girls with a well-rounded experience.
One such inspiring initiative is the ABB Volunteering programme wherein ABB employees volunteer to impart industry knowledge through well structured, pre-planned sessions with these students.
Currently, 600 girl students cumulatively from the programme have been provided virtual training by ABB employees, for over 50 hours. Subject Matter Experts from ABB have contributed their time and experience to interact with the students, and introduce them to a range of topical subjects like Data Analytics, Cyber security, Industry 4.0 etc.
"It is indeed a proud moment for LPF to be able to award scholarships to academically strong girl students, who hail from economically challenged backgrounds. This partnership with our valued partner, ABB, will enable these girls to pursue their BE or BTech degree in the discipline of their choice and thus realise their dreams," said Lila Poonawalla, chairperson, Lila Poonawala Foundation and a recipient of Padma Shri award, in the statement.
"I am thankful to ABB for their decision to not support our girls financially, but also engage with us holistically through Employee Volunteering to enhance their employability and corporate readiness skills,” Poonawalla said.
"Education and skill enhancement has been one of the core areas for our local CSR initiatives. Our association with Lila Poonawalla Foundation for a holistic scholarship and skill building programme is a small step towards enabling outstanding young girls to become the future leaders in technology and bring about a more equitable world," said Sanjeev Sharma, Country Managing Director, ABB India, in the statement.
"Considering the overwhelming response we've been receiving for our ABB volunteering initiative, we are planning to scale up this initiative and develop a holistic mentorship program to enable ABB employees to mentor these girls on an ongoing basis and accelerate their learning curve," he added.
An engineering graduate's academic knowledge has to be complemented with desirable skills and practical knowledge that put them at a vantage point, said Raman Kumar Singh, CHRO, ABB India, in the statement. Aspiring women leaders in technology definitely need to see more role models, and historical stereotypes being challenged, Singh said.
"With the diverse industries that ABB serves, we have an accomplished pool of Subject Matter Experts. Through ABB's volunteering and mentorship program, these experts exchange their knowledge and experience with the scholarship recipients, hand-holding them through the journey," he added.
The 100 shortlisted girls get to pursue their BE or B.Tech degree in the discipline of their choice. Besides the volunteering initiative, multiple interventions introduced by LPF certify a comprehensive training and development for the scholarship recipients.
Presently, the scholarship programme is open to engineering colleges in Pune, Wardha, Amravati District and Nagpur city from Maharashtra and from four Hyderabad districts from Telangana.
Interested girls with a strong academic background can apply for the scholarship with Lila Poonawalla Foundation in the month of July every year.
With a host of such community development programmes in the fields of its operations, ABB India is making concerted efforts for a more inclusive development, both within the workplace and for the larger community.
Globally, ABB runs another scholarship programme called Jurgen Dormann scholarship to inspire students from underprivileged backgrounds to become future leaders in technology by going beyond barriers that prevent them from entering engineering fields.
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