The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Unstop, a community engagement and hiring platform, in a historic move to close the skill gap and improve employability among India’s youth. This strategic alliance connects young talent with industry demands by providing an entire ecosystem of career opportunities, mentorships, competitions, next-generation role-based assessments, and skill-based finishing courses.
Through this collaboration, NSDC and Unstop will combine their strengths to empower India’s youth and strengthen its workforce. This will open up opportunities for students nationwide to showcase their skills, sharpen them and get the right career opportunities. The partnership combines the strengths of two organizations that create holistic solutions for young minds to get the right platform to showcase their talent while aligning it with sector-specific requirements guided by Sectoral Skill Councils (SSCs). The assessments curated under this collaboration will also evaluate skill proficiency and facilitate seamless hiring by creating a pool of pre-assessed candidates for the employers.
Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO of the NSDC, expressed excitement about the partnership:
Through this strategic partnership with Unstop, we are taking a significant step towards bridging the skill gap in India. By providing our youth with access to diverse career opportunities and skill-based assessments, we aim to empower them to thrive in a competitive job market and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s workforce. By combining NSDC’s extensive experience in skill development with Unstop’s innovative platform, we aim to empower students across the country to showcase their skills and connect with potential employers in meaningful ways.
Ved Mani added:
We believe that by fostering a culture of skill-based employment, we can unlock the immense potential of India’s youth and contribute to the nation’s economic growth.
This collaboration is intended to have a significant impact, enabling millions of learners each year through integrated services and engaging participants in competitions held on NSDC’s dedicated platform. With a dynamic community of 19 million students and early professionals from over 20,000 colleges, Unstop links talent with over 5,000 businesses across industries. With this agreement, NSDC and Unstop can leverage their strengths to empower India’s youth and boost its workforce.
Speaking on the partnership, Ankit Aggarwal, Founder & CEO of Unstop, said:
We are very excited to announce this collaboration. This aligns with our vision to curate the largest pool of employable talent by giving them the right opportunities and platforms to showcase their talent and connect with their dream employers. With NSDC being a part of this collaboration, it strengthens our take on skill-based hiring and assessment and opens up doors for talent across the country to be evaluated on their skills. The opportunities for students to explore and learn are increasing daily. Through this collaboration, we want to reach students in every city and college pursuing any course, thus democratizing engagement and hiring.
Since its inception, NSDC has trained over three crore people in different sectors by collaborating with training partners in India. NSDC has established 37 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and implements the Government’s flagship skill development schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), among others. NSDC also funds enterprises, companies and organizations that provide skill training. The organization enables private-sector capacity building in skill development by offering concessional loans, other innovative financial products, and strategic partnerships.
Unstop connects 19 million+ Gen Zs, mainly students and early professionals from over 20,000 colleges across India with 5,000+ employers. It bridges the gap between talent and opportunity by offering diverse features, including jobs, internships, hackathons, case competitions, mentorships and skill-based finishing courses. By breaking barriers such as academic credentials and geographic limitations, the platform ensures a level playing field for talent from Tier 1 to Tier 3 colleges, empowering them to showcase their skills and achieve their potential while connecting with their dream employers.
