Dive Brief:
- Inside Higher Ed reports Purdue University recently announced that it has signed a 5-year deal with India-based technology outsourcing firm Infosys to provide on-demand virtual training and research support for its employees. This occurs just months after Purdue acquired the former Kaplan University.
- The purpose of this partnership is to reshape existing curriculum and professional development efforts to increase the skillset of candidates, as there are major technology skill shortages in Indiana and around the country. This also addresses Infosys's commitment to hire 10,000 American workers at four corporate hubs by 2019.
- Infosys generates $9.5 billion on revenue yearly and has over 200,000 employees, including 27,000 in America. Indiana is the proposed headquarters for this new venture, which represents around $31 million in conditional tax credits and training grants offered by the state.
Dive Insight:
The move by Indiana's Purdue University to partner with Infosys is not unexpected, given that Infosys has a solid reputation for supporting the development of corporate universities. This gives Purdue University a chance to evaluate the massive amount of curriculum and resources that their purchase of Kaplan University provided, then maximize this learning content for future efforts. It's more cost-effective to build on an already strong foundation.
In the past, HR Dive has highlighted the efforts the Indiana state government has made to ensure talent gaps will be filled. Indiana and the surrounding region provide examples of the types of talent challenges facing the U.S. right now — be it automating out certain jobs or finding proper talent for tech-heavy, high-skilled jobs. The Midwest has become somewhat of a hub for these university deals, likely due to that conflict.
