XLRI—one of the oldest and best reputed management institutes in India— and Accenture have partnered to establish the Accenture XLRI HR Academy, a training academy dedicated to the human capital management needs of the growing information technology and business process outsourcing industries. The academy offers a 24-month programme for recent university graduates who join Accenture as trainees in the HR department. The trainees will be part of a unique work-study opportunity, wherein they will be employed by Accenture as they undergo the programme, which is conducted jointly by XLRI and Accenture. The programme comprises 15 learning modules and courses, career/performance management, rewards and compensation, organisational behaviour, as well as the financial and legal aspects of HR. All trainees who successfully complete the programme receive the “Accenture and XLRI Certification in Human Capital Management.” This pioneering initiative and strategic collaboration is part of Accenture India’s stated aim of building a strong and diverse workforce with a vast range of skills and experience. Accenture XLRI HR Academy, which is focused on post-graduate students, will produce the next generation of HR professionals—well-equipped and trained to tackle the emerging challenges of these high-growth industries. This is the first time in India that a specialised HR curriculum has been designed for the Information Technology and Information Technology Enabled Services (IT & ITeS) sector. As leaders in our respective fields, Accenture and XLRI have created a benchmark in the industry for HR education and management. Programme benefits for candidates: Earning a certificate in Human Capital Management (programme jointly owned by Accenture and XLRI, Jamshedpur) Learning a differentiated HR programme focused on the fast-growing IT/ ITES sector Gaining a unique opportunity to work and learn from leaders in academia and industry Having the opportunity to learn while doing interesting, challenging and diverse work in HR Participating in world-class training leveraging Accenture’s global training assets Having access to the best knowledge management repositories Associating with two leading companies in their respective fields The establishment of such an academy could not have been better timed, given the burgeoning growth of the domestic IT industry and India’s leadership position in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sweepstakes. The academy addresses the acute need for professionals with specialised skills who are capable of taking up challenging career opportunities in these two industry domains.