Tata Consultancy Services (BOM: 532549) announced last week that it will partner with the British Council Generation UK-India programme to train 1,000 British university graduates for a year at its innovation labs and software development centres in India.

The initiative will bring graduates to work and train in India between 2016 and 2020. Graduates will receive training for a career in software development, global consulting, business process management or human resources.

According to Tech Partnership, a network of employers that aim to create the skills needed to grow the global digital economy,employment opportunities in the UK IT sector are set to grow at almost twice the UK average employment rate between now and 2020. The Social Market Foundation has predicted the UK faces a shortage in domestic supply of about 40,000 graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The partnership between Tata and the British Council aims to address this gap.

“As a technology partner to many large British businesses, we see their desire to exploit new and exciting opportunities presented by digital technologies, “N Chandrasekaran, CEO and managing director, Tata Consultancy Services said. “However, all too often, our customers are unable to do this quickly as the UK talent pool needs knowledge and training in these new technologies. By providing 1,000 British graduates with the opportunity to work and train with TCS, we hope to help address this skills shortage and give UK employers access to the digital expertise that they will need to compete and succeed in the hyper-connected digital economy”.

The British Council is a charity organization that specializes in educational and cultural opportunities.

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization.

“This partnership marks a great new phase in the UK’s developing relationship with India.” British Council Chief Executive Sir Ciarán Devane said. “It is fantastic that a thousand young graduates from across the UK will be able to benefit from India’s expertise in digital technology and also gain invaluable international experience working at TCS, one of the world’s largest technology consultancy organisations”.