India continues to be among the world’s fastest growing economies and has made remarkable progress in poverty reduction and human development, which has generated new aspirations and expectations. To meet business needs and harness the potential of the youngest workforce in the world, India needs to rapidly upgrade relevant skills for its population, including youth, women and marginalized communities.
The World Bank Group (WBG) iSTAR program is aligned with the $500 million STRENGTHENING TEACHING-LEARNING AND RESULTS FOR STATES (STARS) project with Ministry of Education, Government of India. As part of this program, The World Bank is launching the iSTAR Challenge Fund. The iSTAR Challenge Fund, a competitive grants instrument, based on two decades of WBG experience with the Development Marketplace, launches March 1, 2021, to surface innovative models in skills, training and education for potential uptake and scale through WBG projects with the GoI.
The challenge fund will prioritize cutting-edge, pragmatic and scalable ideas in (i) building skills (21st century, foundational skills and technical skills); (ii) ecosystem development (teacher training, assessments, career counselling) and (iii) employability (internships, apprenticeships and entrepreneurship) with particular emphasis on inclusion of marginalized communities and reduction in gender gaps. For more information, you may visit our website at www.istar.org.in or contact us via email at [email protected].
This session:
- Heard directly from the World Bank to find out more about the iSTAR programme and the iSTAR Challenge Fund
- Gained insights into the application process and criteria
- Foud out how you may benefit from this support
