India

During his 10-day visit, Mr Feerick met with officials from the Ministry of Skills and the National Skills Development Council and also announced a new initiative with one of India’s largest training organisation AISECT.

“My trip to India was an inspiring experience and I was delighted by the warm welcome I received in both New Delhi and Mumbai. We are excited by the vast opportunities and potential we see for free online learning in India. Indian learners are exceptionally motivated, hardworking and with a real drive to succeed,” commented Mr Feerick.

In addition, Mr Feerick met with several Alison graduates. “Of the six graduates we met in New Delhi, four had flown in from locations throughout India, and one gentleman, a teacher from Ahmadabad on the West Coast travelled 16 hours by bus. He said he had to come to thank Alison, which has been central to the operation of his private school for many years, and also to encourage us to become involved in Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Skill India’ programme.”

Alison graduates had varying stories to tell. One was an engineering student who was excelling in college as he was complimenting his classroom study with free study on Alison; another was a cyber-security expert who took a free Diploma in Project Management which gained him a promotion. There was also a student of manufacturing and supply management who used his Alison learning in his family’s manufacturing business in the North of India.

“Meeting Alison graduates in India was a humbling experience,” commented Mr Feerick, “with learners giving credit to the team at Alison HQ who are driving free learning opportunity for so many worldwide.”

With the milestone of one million learners in India now reached, Mr Feerick said that the opportunities opened in India this May will be quickly followed up on – a second visit in July for India’s National Skills Day is already being planned. “Prime Minister Modi wants to upskill 500m youths by 2020. We believe this can be achieved embracing the highly scalable learning solutions such as Alison is providing."