THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Kerala State Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC), a key State Government initiative, has launched an ambitious programme for imparting training in Blockchain technology to students, providing them with an early-mover advantage and positioning the state as the largest supplier of Blockchain technologists in the country.
Dr KM Abraham, Chairman K-DISC, who launched the Accelerated Blockchain Competency Development (ABCD) programme at a function here on Tuesday, said that the initiative is aimed at creating Kerala as a national hub for talent in Blockchain and related technologies.
“It’s meant to position the State as the largest supplier of Blockchain technologists,” Dr Abraham said.
“K-DISC has set an ambitious target of producing 25,000 Blockchain technologists in three years. It is expected that over 5,000 certified students can be trained in the first twelve months,” he said.
Commenting on the current challenge the State is facing, Dr Abraham said, “In order to survive, the State has to regain its ability to export and create manpower. The government has taken the Blockchain opportunity as a challenge and K-DISC is just an instrument in the process.”
With the launch of the programme, K-DISC aims at creating a large pool of trained students, which can intercept the Blockchain technology wave at the right time.
Santhosh Kurup, CEO, ICT Academy of Kerala welcomed the gathering atthe launch ceremony. Dr. P.V. Unnikrishnan, Strategic Consultant, K-DISC, chaired the function. Dr. Saji Gopinath, Director, IIITMK and Dr. Asharaf, Professor, Kerala Blockchain Academy also spoke on the occasion.
The ABCD programme is open for diploma holders, graduated youths and graduating students from Engineering and Science backgrounds. Through an online outreach, the programme has been extended to working professionals as well.
The Blockchain training programme has three modules – Blockchain Associate programme (30 Hrs.), Blockchain Developer Programme (90 Hrs.) and Blockchain Architect Programme (330 Hrs.). The programme is developed and delivered by the Kerala Blockchain Academy (KBA), which is an advanced R & D department within IIITMK.
The programme offers two-part certification, where the participants will obtain a Foundation Skills certificate in Full-stack and intermediate level skills on Blockchain technology. The programme for Full-stack is of 124 hours of duration, developed and delivered by ICT Academy of Kerala.
The second partof the programme is developed and delivered by the Kerala Blockchain Academy (KBA), which is an advanced R & D department within IIITMK. The entrance test will be held in July and the classes will begin in August.
For the graduates, the Foundation Skills in Full-stack programme will be run in 15 Learning Centres of ICT Academy as full time programme and for students it will be organised by ASAP, through its Skills Centers in the interested Colleges, where teachers trained in the technology will conduct the courses.
Students will be required to complete the Full-stack certification with certain grades, to qualify for Blockchain training programme. Blockchain Developer certification programme delivery and certification will be conducted in partnership with Blockchain Education Network (BEN), the international body for Blockchain.
K-Disc has been mandated to promote unique developmental initiatives of strategic implications for the state, cross-cutting multiple sectors, geographies and impacting significant sections of the population.
