In a move to equip students with in-demand skills for success in the global workforce, the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) partnered with edX to provide free access to credit-bearing, university-certified edX online courses for millions of university students across Andhra Pradesh.
Preparing Millions for Work: Andhra Pradesh’s Skill Strategy
Is it more important to ensure broad access to education or to deliver high-quality learning experiences? For many higher education leaders, striking the right balance can be a challenge—especially when preparing students for an increasingly competitive job market. But in Andhra Pradesh, a state in southern India, education officials believe students shouldn’t have to choose. But education officials in Andhra Pradesh, a state in southern India, know transformative learning experiences require both.
With a focus on complementing the existing curriculum, APSCHE partnered with edX to give students across Andhra Pradesh access to on-demand learning that helps them develop the skills needed to succeed in a global job market—beyond the classroom.
Hear from Anant Agarwal, Chief Academic Officer at 2U, Founder of edX, Professor at MIT, as he shares more about the vision of the partnership and the impact
Challenge: Improve student employability
The international job market has never been more competitive. To help students appeal to employers and establish rewarding careers — in India and around the world — APSCHE identified a few key goals:
- Enable students to earn credentials from top universities: Connect students with the chance to earn valuable credentials from top universities and institutions, like Harvard and MIT.
- Enhance curricula with job-relevant skills and certificates: Expand on traditional curriculum with resume-enriching certificates, as well as practical, skills-based training in areas like AI.
- Mitigate economic disparities. Make sure low-income and middle-class students have access to high-quality learning opportunities.
Ultimately, the government wanted to “bring Harvard and MIT to India” as part of a bigger goal: To improve student employability. Partnering with edX would mean students could learn core competencies, build essential skills and digital capabilities, and earn credentials from top institutions — all tools that would help those students stand out professionally.
Solution: Increase access to high-quality credit-bearing courses
APSCHE and edX worked together to create a first-of-its-kind program for Andhra Pradesh college students where they received free access to more than 2,000 online credit-bearing courses from edX’s Subscription catalog. The courses — which span subjects like AI, big data, data analysis, data science, communications, career development, machine learning, Python, algorithms, and soft skills — help students develop practical skills that translate to real-world professional contexts.
Students were also able to earn certificates from prestigious universities that had once been logistically or financially out of reach. Those credentials helped students attest to their skills, strengthened their résumés, and opened doors to diverse national and global employment or study opportunities. And once students had taken the courses required by their universities, they could take as many additional courses as they liked — a powerful return for motivated learners.
But these students were not doing it alone. APSCHE assigned more than 5,000 qualified mentors to help students master learning objectives. These mentors hand-selected courses that complemented their existing curricula and focused on the skills their students needed. They also took the courses alongside students, immersing themselves in the content so they were able to offer meaningful support in real time.
Impact: Engaged, empowered, and credentialed students
The response from students in Andhra Pradesh was overwhelmingly positive. In just a few months, more than 590,000 students in Andhra Pradesh from more than 900 colleges and 22 state universities in the region enrolled in the program. In addition, students completed and earned certificates in upwards of 318,000 courses, and tallied more than a million learning hours total. Courses in computer science, data analysis, business, and communications have proved especially popular.
Top subjects by number of certificates
- Computer science: 54,000 certificates
- Data analysis and statistics: 31,000 certificates
- Business and management: 22,000 certificates
- Communication and soft skills: 10,000 certificates
Looking ahead
This partnership between APSCHE and edX demonstrated how combining quality education with broad access can empower millions of students. A key factor in its success was the thoughtful integration of on-demand learning with the existing curriculum, ensuring a seamless and relevant experience for students. By providing flexible learning options and dedicated mentorship, the initiative helped prepare Andhra Pradesh’s university students with the skills and credentials needed to thrive in an increasingly competitive global job market. It stands as a powerful example of how innovation and collaboration can transform higher education and expand opportunities for learners everywhere.
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