upGrad, online higher education company, partners with major corporates across BFSI and Technology sector to provide placement opportunities to the remotest corners of India with over 300 cities, thereby getting 'Bharat' to work.

The initiative is being undertaken by the upGrad Academy Business vertical, which extends upskilling opportunities to the first-time job seekers and placement guarantee on successful completion of the program. The salary package starts from Rs 2.5 lakhs per annum, with job opportunities majorly looking into the area of sales.

While 1000 learners have been placed so far, the company plans to cater to over 10,000 jobs in the next financial year. Nonetheless, the initiative has also received more than 1.5 lakh enquiries from across India.

"With such opportunities, we are trying to create an impact towards achieving the USD 1 trillion economy goal for India, which requires the entire Bharat to go to work. Academy Business vertical works on a 'Source-Train and Deploy model' which enables large organisations who are looking at mass recruitment in their level one, two roles, to have a skilled-ready workforce and as we move ahead, we look forward to onboarding more companies targeting similar goals," said Mayank Kumar, co-founder and MD, upGrad, while speaking about upGrad Academy.

The recent Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) suggests that India's unemployment rate has moved upwards to 7.78 per cent in February 2020, highest in the last four months. Education companies can play the role in bridging this gap by giving access to job opportunities to the masses, and by helping the corporates get industry-ready talent.