New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) HCL Corporation has entered the skill and talent development space with the launch of HCL TalentCare, an integrated end-to-end talent solutions company incorporated under it, a company statement said here on Thursday.

The newly formed entity aims to be a global talent-solutions company addressing a wide spectrum of entry-level employability needs in India and thereby creating a ready talent pool of professionals for enterprises in IT, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) and healthcare sectors, it said.

The company aims to enrol over 20,000 scholars by 2018.

"Today, more than half of India's population is under the age of 25, with 65 percent of the population under 35. About 12 million individuals are expected to join the workforce every year," Shiv Nadar, founder and chairman, HCL, said.

While India's young population is its greatest asset, many young Indians are not equipped with the skills required for effective employment," Nadar said.

HCL TalentCare enables anytime-anywhere learning that is industry-focused with personalised development paths, digital immersion, online, classroom and on-job learning, continuous tracking and progress reporting, individual counselling and mentoring.

Courses will be delivered using a mix of classroom-based instructor-led training along with on job practice of concepts taught in the course. Soft skills training will be imparted by industry experts through games, activities and guest lectures on behavioural and technical areas.

"I believe that this is the right moment to step in to address this skill gap challenge facing the nation today. This will help us realise our demographic dividend and create talent Made in India," he added.

"Our strategic direction is to focus on spaces that would be the catalysts for economic growth - Technology, Healthcare and People. After spending four decades in technology, we diversified into healthcare last year. We now complete this journey with the launch of HCL TalentCare," Roshni Nadar, chief executive officer and executive director, HCL, said.

"A people-intensive organisation with over 100,000 people, HCL has nurtured and developed a strong pool of talent which is one its key differentiators. HCL professionals today are the backbone of leading global enterprises across industries," she said.

"HCL TalentCare's key objective is to offer skill development and staffing solutions that will provide a career launch pad for students on one side and a ready pool of employable talent for enterprises. A structured approach like this will lead to on-demand staffing of trained and certified resources which is an imperative for competitiveness across industries," Premkumar S, chief mentor, HCL TalentCare, said.

He mentioned that there is a 'talent-divide' that has been created as more than 75 percent graduates at present are not job ready.

"India Inc. is witnessing high attrition rates of 20 percent and above because of expectation mismatch at the 0-3 year experience band that is hurting enterprises very badly. Corporate India is keen to hire "role ready" talent to meet its growing demand for skilled professionals," he added.