Deloitte Kicks off 'WorldClass' initiative in India, Aims to Impact Lives of 10 mn Girls & Women

Call it igniting girl power or something else! Deloitte, one of the largest professional services organisations, on Saturday kicked off its global initiative: ‘WorldClass’- in India. The initiative aims at supporting 10 million girls and women by 2030 through education and skills development. Globally, WorldClass initiative promises to prepare 50 million people to be better equipped for the future of work, in-line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Deloitte is keen on making a meaningful impact on issues that are critical to social stress, by collaborating with various stakeholders across sectors, top Deloitte officials said.

“Our goal with WorldClass is to empower 50 million people globally by 2030, by providing them access to the education and skills required to find meaningful work in the new economy. The world is on the brink of a seismic shift with the emergence of the Industry 4.0 wave, and to thrive in it, we must work together so that no one is left behind. This will enable more people to access opportunities and the communities where they live to prosper. Across India, almost 40 percent of girls aged 15-18 years drop out of school and college, and only 26 percent of women are employed. There is a tremendous opportunity to make a meaningful impact and create pathways for women of all ages to fulfill their aspirations,” said Punit Renjen, Global CEO, Deloitte, who along with the union minister of petroleum & natural gas and skill development & entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, kicked off the initiative.

Renjen said that with their investments in the community, they aim to support the economic empowerment of women which is often a catalyst for long-term sustainable change. They are committing to help those who are left behind, develop skills required for new and better opportunities, he said.

Deloitte’s WorldClass programme in India will focus on improving girls’ retention rate in school, higher educational outcomes, and skills development for women to access employment. By engaging in long-term partnerships with organisations that are driving transformational change in rural and urban areas, it has set a target of reaching 10 million girls and women by 2030.

“As one of the emerging economies on the world stage today, India’s demographic dividend forms an integral component of its growth story. The task of harnessing its power has to be fuelled by the private sector,” said the Deloitte India spokesperson.