Mangalore, In an initiative to bridge the information gap for students of Dakshina Kannada and boost career opportunities, a District Career Conclave was organised by SAP, KSDC, Government of Karnataka and UNDP India between 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM at Mangaluru’ s St Aloysius College today. The purpose was for students to interact with recruiters, industry domain experts, career counsellors, explore higher education opportunities and make informed career choices. The district career conclave was inaugurated by Akshay Shridhar (IAS, Commissioner, City Corporation, Mangalore), with the presence of SJ Hemachandra (KES, District Skill Development Officer, KSDC), Devaraju K (IEDS, Joint Director, MSME, Mangalore), Dr. Jennifer Lolita (Joint Director, Collegiate of Education, Mangalore), Ajith Kamath (Ex- president of KIA and secretary of STRIVE, Mangalore), Rev. Dr Praveen Martis (SJ, Principal, St. Aloysius College) and Jeyachandran, State Head, UNDP Karnataka. "UNDP India and SAP India, with the support of KSDC and Government of Karnataka have enjoyed a fantastic run since 2020 when we joined forces to help Karnataka's youth and women become job ready. This is the second career conclave we have organised in the state this year with an aim to expose young minds to various professional specialisations and higher education opportunities they can access. Interacting with potential employers has helped participants understand corporate skill requirements. Decent work and economic growth are important SDG goals and the Career Conclave at Mangaluru is a positive step in that direction," said Govindaraj Jeyachandran UNDP India’s Karnataka State Project Head. “Powering opportunity through digital inclusion is the guiding principle for SAP CSR. We firmly believe that technology can play a role of a socio-economic enabler, thereby propelling equitable and inclusive economic ecosystem. SAP Labs India’s partnership with UNDP in Karnataka is about propelling social entrepreneurship ecosystem, building career pathways for youth, and leveraging power of technology to foster economic opportunities,” said Gunjan Patel, Regional Director and Head of CSR, SAP Indian Subcontinent.
The District Career Conclave was a day-long mega event. Below were some highlights:
• 20+ career stalls to share the future career opportunities with the students including higher and vocational education options, skill development and apprenticeship opportunities.
• 500+ students from various educational and vocation institutions including PU colleges, ITI, Polytechnics, and Arts & Science colleges.
• 20+ employers from various sectors sharing job opportunities.
• 10+ industry experts sharing the career insights.
• 30+ experts including career counsellors, facilitators, trainers, and representatives from industry associations, government, and career platforms.
• Career guidance sessions moderated by industry and career experts.
• Career exhibitions that showcased career journeys through interactive sessions with relevant experts.
• Career stalls to encouraging interaction with prospective employers, trainers, and experts.
About Project Code Unnati Since 2020, UNDP India and SAP Labs India have been working together to boost youth innovation and entrepreneurship under project Code Unnati. The project aims to improve access to employment opportunities for 20,000 youth and 5,000 women across three districts of Karnataka — Bengaluru Rural, Dakshina Kannada, and Raichur.
The key activities include:
• Imparting Digital Literacy, Career Guidance & Counselling, and 21st Century Skills for youth
• Fostering youth-led entrepreneurship for youth at the university level
• Connecting youth to the Government Incubation Centres (Atal Incubation Centres), and providing them with opportunities to participate in design-thinking workshops, innovation challenges, and boot camps
• Providing linkages to Apprenticeship/Internship opportunities at the district level UNDP’s technical partner Head Held High Foundation is conducting Career Guidance and 21st- Century Skills training for the students across 20+ institutions in Mangaluru.
About SAP: SAP’s strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent, sustainable enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: SAP customers generate 87% of total global commerce. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people’s lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.
About UNDP India
UNDP has worked in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development, from systems strengthening to inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods and sustainable energy, environment, and resilience. UNDP's programmes continue to integrate a global vision for catalytic change with India's national priorities. Today, with over 30 projects on the ground in almost every state, it works to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by transforming traditional models to do development differently.