Airtel Upskilling Workforce in 5G Era: What It Means to the Telecom Industry

Amrita Padda, Chief People Officer, Bharti Airtel, said, “Nearly 20,000 professionals in the Airtel ecosystem have been trained in the basics of IP technology in preparation for the 5G rollout,”

Although there is an overlap among the employees that telcos and tech companies are vying for, Bharti Airtel’s approach to recruitment and its strategy to invest in upskilling existing talent will hold it in good stead.

“I think a war (for talent) is there, if you are not able to bring in more people into the talent service ecosystem,” said Pabba.

Women in Engineering (STEM)

We need to empower Women with enough opportunities in the Engineering field. For that reason, the company is working towards bringing more women engineers into its fold, for instance, by providing them with the flexibility of remote working and giving them the support required to do so.

How Airtel is Supporting the Same

“So, we help set up their workspace at home, for example. We realise it is important to hire the right people for the job and retain them. This programme is a step towards that, and part of our diversity initiative,” said Padda.

Visually Slide: Airtel 5G Plus Live in Vizag: Check Locations

Training and Technical Certifications

Amrita Pabba also shared: Launched in early 2021 as part of the company’s 5G blueprint and workforce training for 5G rollouts, the academies offer basic and advanced level skill programmes across functions.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) certification courses are offered to workforce based on skill and eligibility level free of cost. Pabba says, “This is our way of investing in the workforce for the future.” As a result, the mix of employees – both upskilled existing employees and new hires for 5G related profiles – is expected to increase 25% by the end of 2022-23.

Conclusion

The world is going through many challenges, and skilled talent with competency is the need of the hour. Airtel’s plan for the required upskilling as part of the company’s 5G strategy in 2021 shows the preparedness to roll out 5G in a competitive market like India, along with a focus on the talent pool. By preparing the workforce with the required skills for the next-generation technologies, Initiatives like this not only help the company but indirectly the telecom landscape in India with an improved technical edge.