Vodacom is ramping up efforts to address Africa’s digital skills shortage by collaborating with technology giants like AWS, Microsoft, and Skillsoft to equip 1 million African youths with essential digital kills.
By 2027, Vodacom hopes to upskill 1 million young people in eight African nations including South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Egypt (Talimy), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (VodaEduc), and Kenya (Industry Digital Talent Program).
Utilising the e-learning platforms already available in each of these nations, the course seeks to equip the upcoming generation of digital innovators and enable Africa’s digital society.
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230 million jobs require digital skills in Africa by 2030
By 2030, more than 230 million jobs in Africa will require digital skills, according to the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Despite this demand, a significant gap exists between the supply of skilled talents and the jobs available.
“The African continent is plagued in many countries with high levels of unemployment, gender inequality, income disparity and limited access to education, healthcare and essential services. These challenges inform our purpose and drive our strategy to connect for a better future, leveraging digital technologies to drive inclusion into the future for the betterment of people,” says Shameel Joosub, Vodacom Group CEO.
“The launch of the Digital Skills Hub is a testament to our commitment to pioneering the path to a digital and more inclusive Africa.”
People between the ages of 18 and 35 can obtain self-paced digital skills training through the Vodacom Digital Skills Hub.
Students can learn digital skills on Vodacom e-learning platforms
Vodacom Group already offers free e-learning platforms in all of its regions. Students in remote or underserved areas can now access high-quality education thanks to e-learning and digital classrooms. Platforms like Talimy in Egypt, e-Fahamu in Tanzania, VodaEduc in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Faz Crescer in Mozambique, and an e-learning platform in South Africa offer a multitude of online resources that meet various learning needs.
“We are extremely excited about this initiative which seeks to inspire the next wave of digital innovators. Our main aim with this initiative is to not only address the digital skills shortage on the continent but to also nurture a pipeline of young talent and in turn advance Africa’s digital future, boosting opportunities for empowerment in an inclusive digital economy,” said Matimba Mbungela, Chief Human Resources Officer at Vodacom Group.
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More about Vodacom Digital Skills Hub
The Vodacom Digital Skills Hub offers young people throughout the continent enjoyable and interesting hands-on digital skills training to encourage the future generation to think about a career in STEM fields.
AWS Educate is an extension to Vodacom’s existing online learning platforms and one of the first programs made available through the Digital Skills Hub.
From cloud basics to artificial intelligence and machine learning, AWS Educate provides novices with a vast collection of self-paced online courses.
“With over 400 million young people between the ages of 15 and 35 in Africa, the continent has the youngest population in the world. Digital is the new currency, it is therefore imperative that we invest in them and provide them with the necessary digital skills that will not only boost their growth and development but that of the continent too,” concludes Joosub.