New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS): Software major Tech Mahindra on Friday announced a partnership with Australia's University of Sydney to develop next-gen technologies to equip students with skills necessary for jobs of the future.

The partnership will provide students with real-world experience through the University's newly developed Industry and Community Projects Unit (ICPU), which allows students to work on projects across areas including community development, law, technology, farming, sustainability, banking and health.

"These projects bring students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds together to research, analyse and present solutions to real-world problems. We are equipping our students with the skills they need for the jobs of the future," said Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Sydney.

The four-week-long units will see student groups work with an academic supervisor and industry experts, leveraging next-gen technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality, and the Internet of Things in Tech Mahindra's Makers lab.

"Through this collaboration with academia, industry and business, we hope to build a work force of the future," Nikhil Malhotra, head of Makers Lab, Tech Mahindra, said in a statement.

"We envision to create a talent pool that is more in tune with the practical insights around disruptive technologies, can benefit the Australian market, and enable Tech Mahindra to spot young talent," Malhotra added.

Tech Mahindra is the first ICPU partnership in India.

This partnership is a continuation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the University of Sydney and Tech Mahindra in February 2018 to collaborate in joint research projects on AI, ML, blockchain technology, data analytics, security and VR, and partnership for experiential learning.