Telecom equipment maker Ericsson has expanded the Connect to Learn initiative in India, one of the key markets.
Ericsson said the Sweden-based company’s mobile broadband solutions now provide internet connectivity and access to a digital education program at 34 centers run by its partner Smile Foundation.

The digital education program offers training to develop skills such as English proficiency and computer literacy through the Smile Twin E-learning Programme, with the objective of helping them find jobs in the retail and service sectors.

Ericsson has assisted with the development of the new web-based training modules and donated computers to the centers. Ericsson trained the teachers to use the tools and to integrate them with traditional teaching methods.

“The Connect to Learn initiative with Smile Foundation helps young people develop new skills to support themselves and their families,” Helena Norrman, head of Marketing and Corporate Relations, Ericsson, said.

Ericsson launched Connect to Learn, a global education initiative, in 2010 – in order to increase access to quality education, especially for girls, through the integration of technology tools and digital learning resources in schools across the globe. The initiative has assisted more than 120,000 students in 25 countries.