Tata Consultancy Services has launched its flagship digital innovation and career readiness programme goIT in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Aimed at demystifying computer science and assisting students in gaining the skills and confidence required to pursue STEM careers, goIT is an experiential, immersive programme that gives young people access to hands-on technology education and design challenges.
It introduces students to design thinking and digital technologies to develop and prototype solutions that improve their own communities or support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The engaging curriculum includes innovation lifecycle, product prototyping, and industry-relevant entrepreneurial skills. Under the programme, TCS employees mentor students, and provide industry context and real-world connections, the company said.
TCS is currently collaborating with Al Sahafa International School, Riyadh and has trained 106 students. Under the theme of the UN SDGs, students ideated on solutions for good health and wellbeing, affordable and clean energy, and zero hunger.
For example, Grade 7 students researched, ideated, and prototyped a mobile solution called ‘Team Earth’ that displays the location of the nearest renewable energy outlets and finds an environmental, social, and governance volunteer. Meanwhile, Grade 5 students pitched a technology solution to solve world hunger by creating an app that would act as a digital aggregator. Called ‘Free Supermarket’, it would help people make and receive donations.
“To be competitive in the digital economy of the future, every community has to invest in developing its human capital and creating a digitally-capable workforce. We have been partnering with local communities for the past 13 years to spark interest in IT and technology among young people. After the huge success of goIT in other parts of the world, we introduced this programme in the Kingdom so students can learn from TCS’ skilled technology professionals and flex their IT skills. We look forward to expanding the programme to more schools in Saudi soon,” said Sumanta Roy, Regional Head, Middle East & Africa, TCS.
“We are very excited to see the STEM exposure our students got through the TCS goIT programme. They really impressed us with their enthusiasm and willingness to learn. I think programmes like this are extremely important in showing students how they can succeed in a range of fields, with a good grounding in IT,” said Ola Mourad, Academic Coordinator, the Al Sahafa International School, Riyadh.
The flagship programme has benefitted over 100,000 students across 38 countries around the globe since its inception in 2009. In a first, the TCS goIT programme was conducted in Arabic to suit local schools across the Middle East, the company concluded.