Quinquagenarian bets on tech upskilling to stay afloat in rapidly transforming digital space

57-year-old Rachakonda Padmavathi pursues BCA online to stay relevant in tech, inspiring others to upskill at any age.

“I want to keep pace with digital transformation and avoid becoming obsolete,” says 57-year-old Rachakonda Padmavathi, who is pursuing a course in Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA) from Vignan Online, the online learning wing of Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research, deemed to be university.

Working as the head of a Centre of Excellence in a Tata project at Hyderabad, Ms. Padmavathi realised the importance of keeping pace with the rapidly changing technologies to stay relevant.

Not one to slow down showing age as an excuse, the quinquagenarian, who has a diploma in Civil Engineering and is currently in the fourth semester of BCA, intends to follow it up with an MCA programme after this. “My children are settled in Canada. This upskilling will help me a great deal if I ever move to Canada and want to continue working,” she says in a matter-of-fact way. “Age is no barrier. It is only a limitation that we put on our mind,” says the woman who is equipped with 35 years of work experience.

“Tapping the potential of online learning and the possibilities it offers, I enrolled in the BCA programme offered by Vignan Online,” she says, informing that in her journey of upskilling, she received immense support from her colleagues and family, particularly her husband and children.

“Padmavathi’s journey is real and inspiring. She is a perfect example to many who wish to reskill, upskill or restart at any stage of life. We hope more people take cue from her and follow suit. Vignan Online will always support them in fulfilling their dreams,” says Shrikant Nandigam, CEO of Vignan Online. Appreciating Ms. Padmavati’s dedication, he says by choosing to pursue the course in online mode, she has set a perfect example for how the flexibility and accessibility of online education can enable learners to chase their dreams at their own pace and convenience, regardless of age or location.