The Vodacom Group has partnered with technology providers such as AWS, Microsoft, Skillsoft and other collaborating organisations to train one million young people in eight African countries, including Mozambique, with digital skills by 2027.
According to an article published on Friday 17 January by the news portal Engineering News, the aim of the parties involved is to reduce the digital skills gap and promote digital literacy among the next generation of Africans.
The initiative will be implemented through the e-learning platforms already available in the markets concerned. Young digital innovators will be trained through the Vodacom Group’s Digital Skills Centres in South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Lesotho, as well as in Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Industry Digital Talent Programme in Kenya.
‘The launch of the Digital Skills Centre is proof of our commitment to leading the way to a more inclusive digital Africa,’ said Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub.
The Digital Skills Centres promote careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and offer access to self-directed training in digital skills for young people between the ages of 18 and 35.
Vodacom cited data from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which points out that more than 230 million jobs in Africa will require digital skills by 2030. However, the continent faces a significant gap between supply and demand for these skills.
‘The African continent is marked in many countries by high levels of unemployment, gender inequality, income disparities and limited access to education, healthcare and essential services,’ Joosub emphasised and added: ’These challenges shape our objective and drive our strategy of building a better future by using digital technologies to promote inclusion and improve people’s lives.’
The initiative will also complement the free e-learning platforms and digital classrooms that already exist in Vodacom’s markets, which provide quality education to students in remote areas or with limited access. Among the platforms to be utilised are Talimy in Egypt, e-Fahamu in Tanzania, VodaEduc in the DRC, Faz Crescer in Mozambique and an e-learning platform in South Africa, each designed to meet different learning needs.
‘We are extremely excited about this initiative, which seeks to inspire the next generation of digital innovators. Our main objective is not only to address the continent’s digital skills shortage, but also to foster a pool of young talent and thus drive Africa’s digital future by promoting a more inclusive digital economy,’ said Matimba Mbungela, Vodacom Group’s human resources director.
AWS Educate, which offers a vast library of online training on topics such as cloud computing fundamentals, artificial intelligence and machine learning, will be one of the first initiatives available at the Digital Skills Hub, complementing Vodacom’s existing learning platforms.
‘With more than 400 million young people between the ages of 15 and 35, Africa has the youngest population in the world. Digital is the new currency and it is therefore essential to invest in them, offering them the digital skills they need to boost their growth as well as the continent’s development,’ concluded Joosub.