Vodacom Group Launches Digital Education Initiative to Benefit One Million Young Africans
Vodacom Group has recently announced the launch of a groundbreaking digital education initiative aimed at empowering one million young Africans across eight countries by the year 2027. The telecommunications giant has teamed up with industry leaders such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Skillsoft to provide comprehensive digital training through its Digital Skills Hub.
The program will be rolled out in South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya. This initiative comes in response to the International Finance Corporation’s forecast that Africa will require digital expertise for more than 230 million jobs by the year 2030.
Shameel Joosub, the CEO of Vodacom Group, has highlighted the critical challenges facing African nations, including unemployment, gender inequality, and limited access to education. The Digital Skills Hub aims to utilize technology for inclusive development across the continent.
The initiative offers self-paced training for individuals aged 18 to 35, building upon Vodacom’s existing e-learning platforms. Matimba Mbungela, Chief Human Resources Officer, underscores the initiative’s emphasis on nurturing young talent to drive Africa’s digital economy forward.
One of the key components of the program is AWS Educate, which provides training in cloud fundamentals, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The curriculum focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills through interactive and practical content.
This initiative is part of a broader wave of digital development programs taking place across Africa. For instance, Google recently partnered with Zambia to establish an Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence at the University of Zambia. Additionally, the African Development Bank has collaborated with Intel to offer advanced AI training to 3 million Africans and 30,000 government officials.
Other notable partnerships include Microsoft and M-Pesa Africa’s joint effort to digitize skills training for small businesses in various African countries. The Ugandan government’s collaboration with the World Bank has facilitated internet connectivity in refugee camps through the Universal Digital Acceleration Program.
The collective impact of these initiatives underscores the growing recognition of the significance of digital skills in Africa’s economic advancement. These programs not only address the continent’s digital skills gap but also create opportunities for youth to participate in the global digital economy.
(Source: https://www.connectingafrica.com/skills-and-training/vodacom-to-digitally-upskill-1m-young-africans)
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