Rolls-Royce partners CEMS for ‘Unnati’ skilling initiative and Buddy4Study & CAF India for ‘Unnati’ Scholarship initiative aimed at women empowerment in STEM, at DefExpo 2020
Rolls-Royce announced the launch of its ‘Unnati’ Skill Development initiative for underprivileged women in partnership with the Centre of Excellence in Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS) at the DefExpo 2020.
Rolls-Royce has also launched the ‘Unnati’ Scholarship Programme for women engineering students with Buddy4Study and Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) India.
Rolls-Royce is committed to advancing STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and the ‘Unnati’ initiatives are aimed at empowering women in STEM careers.
The ‘Unnati’ Skill Development Program with CEMS aims to provide holistic skill based training to improve employability and prepare beneficiaries for a variety of job roles in the industry. The programme is in line with the Ministry of Shipping’s Skill Development programme under the Sagarmala project to provide skill development for Shipbuilding, Aerospace, Defence and Marine Sectors.
Kishore Jayaraman, President, Rolls-Royce, India & South Asia said, “At Rolls-Royce, we believe that women are vital to the growth and development of any economy, and it is our endeavour to empower them in STEM related careers. We are delighted to partner with CEMS to empower underprivileged women to pursue careers in this industry. With a global target to reach 25 million people by 2030, we are committed to increasing the pipeline of STEM talent around the world, and this will in turn, help build a talent pipeline for a growing aerospace and defence industry.”
“Our STEM outreach programmes are forging exciting connections between classroom studies and STEM in the wider world. Taking this to the next level, we are also happy to partner with Buddy4Study and CAF India to enable a scholarship program for women engineering students, and support and to inspire the next generation of engineers, problem-solvers, scientists and innovators.”
The ‘Unnati’ Scholarship Program with CAF India and Buddy4Study aims to provide financial support to 150 girl students studying in 1st, 2nd or 3rd year of undergraduate engineering programmes. In addition, these students will also get an opportunity to shadow women engineers at Rolls-Royce as well as be mentored by Rolls-Royce engineers.
Through various community outreach programmes, Rolls-Royce has touched the lives of nearly 100,000 students in India, from diverse backgrounds, inspiring and teaching them about STEM education and careers, as well as providing skill development.
With a mission to empower women towards their education and skill training in STEM courses, Rolls-Royce plans to support 150 girl students towards overcoming their financial hurdles and complete their engineering programme.
· A total of 150 girl students pursuing engineering to be provided with scholarships
· The UNNATI Scholarship Programme for Women Engineers will have three batches of scholars over the next three years
· Each scholar will be given an amount of INR 35,000 to cover their academic expenses
· Scholarship applications are live on Buddy4Study platform
Speaking on the vision behind this initiative, Anuja Kadian, Head of CSR, Rolls-Royce India & South Asia said: “Rolls-Royce is committed to promoting interest and encourage diversity learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. We are particularly delighted to be supporting the professional aspirations of women engineering students, in partnership with Buddy4Study and CAF India, with the aim of inspiring the next generation of engineers, problem-solvers, scientists and innovators.”
Neha Agarwal, Head Business Strategy, Buddy4Study congratulated Rolls-Royce for bringing this scholarship opportunity for girls. “We are proud to be the implementation partner for this scholarship programme and believes that such initiatives will boost confidence among women to join STEM field.,” she said, adding, “Buddy4Study is on a mission to bridge any existing gap between scholarship seekers and scholarship providers so that all deserving students get financial help to continue their education.”
Meenakshi Batra, CEO, CAF India said: “It is an exciting opportunity for us to work on this scholarship programme, which is aimed at supporting a twin social cause – education and gender equality. We are sure that this programme will go a long way in bridging gender gaps and encouraging more girls to join the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
The scholarship programme will be supporting a total of 150 scholars over next three years. The application for the scholarship is live now. Students will be able to apply for the scholarship through application form hosted on Buddy4Study platform.
