Indian IT services firm Infosys opens UK apprenticeship scheme

Indian IT services firm Infosys is to offer over 100 UK apprenticeship places through a programme set up in conjunction the National Apprenticeship Scheme (NAS) over the next five years.

Indian IT companies are often criticised because their business model means UK IT workers are replaced by lower cost workers from India. But as Indian IT services companies establish more operations in the UK and other European countries, they increasingly require local talent.

Infosys, which employs 150,000 people worldwide, has signed a deed of commitment to provide apprenticeships in marketing and human resources.

Wipro chairman Azim Premji offered to take UK students to India for 12 months to be trained up in software, IT and engineering.

In the Wipro programme, students would receive three months' classroom-based training and nine months' work-based training.

Premji told the Telegraph in January, at the World Economic forum in Davos, that the idea emerged when he met Prime Minister David Cameron in `India in 2010. Premji told the Telegraph that he and Cameron had talked about education, and in particular the shortcomings of IT and engineering.

Fellow Indian IT services firm HCL also used the Davos event to announce a plan to offer training to UK students. HCL is working with 12 universities to offer courses. It will provide workshops on technology and management, and competitions to drive innovation.