Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has formed a partnership that will help to tackle the UK’s digital skills shortage.

The IT services firm has announced its intentions to provide British graduates with 1,000 internships between 2016 and 2020. The year-long internships will take place at the company’s innovation labs and software development centres in India. The scheme, developed in partnership with the British Council, is intended to supplement Britain’s pool of digital talent.

Ciarán Devane, CEO at British Council, says, “It is fantastic that 1,000 young graduates from across the UK will be able to benefit from India’s expertise in digital technology and also gain invaluable international experience working at TCS.”

UK-based IT entrepreneurs recently signed a letter to the prime minister calling for a relaxation of the immigration rules to make it easier for skilled migrants to get UK work visas.

The TCS interns will receive training in the technical and commercial skills needed for a career in software development, global consulting, business process management or human resources.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, CEO and MD at TCS, says, “By providing 1,000 British graduates with the opportunity to work and train with TCS, we hope to help address this skills shortage and give UK employers access to the digital expertise that they will need to compete and succeed in the hyper-connected digital economy.”

This latest commitment is part of TCS’ wider investment in employee training. Over the past year it has trained over 100,000 employees in emerging digital technologies.