As part of the milestone, 14,000 students who successfully completed the programme came together on the VELS campus with their Passport to Earning course completion certificates. Aerial drone footage captured the students gathered together, holding their certificates, creating a powerful visual representation of the scale of the achievement and VELS’ commitment to large-scale student skill development.
The UNICEF Passport to Earning (P2E) initiative, led by UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited, provides young people with free access to job-relevant learning opportunities and certifications. The programme enables students to develop skills that complement their academic education and strengthen their preparedness for higher education, employment and emerging career opportunities.
The completion of the programme by more than 14,000 VELS students represents one of the largest institutional-scale student participation milestones of its kind in Tamil Nadu, further strengthening VELS’ focus on integrating skill development, digital learning and industry-relevant competencies into higher education.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Preethaa Ganesh, Vice President, Vels Group of Institutions, said that the collaboration with UNICEF will continue to expand beyond the completion of the Passport to Earning programme. She said that VELS and UNICEF will continue to explore opportunities for industry engagement, placement-oriented initiatives and career development, including potential collaborations involving leading technology organisations such as Microsoft and Adobe. She also highlighted plans for continued engagement through a Hackathon scheduled for January, providing students with opportunities to apply their skills in practical and innovation-driven environments.
The event was attended by Dr. A. Jothi Murugan, Pro-Chancellor, Vels University; Prof. Dr. M. Bhaskaran, Pro-Chancellor (Planning & Development); and the Vice-Chancellor (FAC), along with representatives from UNICEF and the academic leadership of VISTAS.
The continuing collaboration between UNICEF and VELS is expected to create further opportunities for students in skill development, digital learning, industry exposure, career readiness and employment-oriented initiatives.
About Vels University
VELS Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies (VISTAS) continues to be recognised as one of the prominent deemed-to-be universities in Chennai, distinguished by its prestigious NAAC A++ accreditation and UGC Category-I status. Home to over 20,000 students and supported by a dedicated faculty strength of 1,220 members, VISTAS offers more than 150 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across a wide spectrum of disciplines. These include Medicine, Engineering, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Management, Law, Mass Communication, Maritime Studies, Aviation, Physiotherapy and Computing Sciences, among others.
With its commitment to academic excellence, innovation and holistic development, VISTAS remains a premier destination for quality higher education in India.
With campuses across Pallavaram, Thalambur, Periyapalayam, Thiruvanmiyur and Adyar, VELS provides students with opportunities to pursue academic learning alongside research, innovation, industry engagement, sports, cultural activities and experiential learning.
For more information: www.vistas.ac.in
