This archive report was first published on 21 July 2021.
On July 21, 2021, Huawei signed a partnership with the Ministry of Education's State Department for Vocational and Technical Training to boost ICT development within technical education and training.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to enhance capacity building among 150 trainers and offer industry-level training to over 1,000 students to prepare them for the ICT industry.
Representing the partnership, Dr. Margaret Mwakima, Principal Secretary State Department for Vocational Technical Training, and Fiona Pan, Deputy CEO of Huawei, signed the MoU.
The collaboration will improve ICT infrastructure, administer ICT skills surveys, provide industry linkages, and offer job or internship opportunities through the Huawei ICT Academy program.
Dr. Mwakima stated that the Ministry has taken note of Huawei's initiatives to develop ICT and digital talent among the youth and has signed the partnership to expand Huawei ICT Academies in TVET institutions.
Ms. Fiona Pan emphasized the importance of developing local ICT talent to bridge the digital skills gap, especially with the rapid development of digital technology.
With the rollout of 5G and emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Cloud services, it is essential to cultivate a workforce to meet the growing demands within the ICT industry.
Mr. Orina Makori, representing the Eng. Stephen Rukaria Principal Meru National Polytechnic, stated that embracing Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET) curriculum like Huawei's professional courses ensures industry-relevant skills.
Ms. Fiona Pan added that Huawei believes Kenya must have a skilled workforce empowered to take up new opportunities presented by emerging technologies.
The event saw the Huawei ICT Academy sign partnerships with 10 national polytechnics, appointing them as ICT Academy partners.
According to a World Bank report, 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030, making it crucial for everyone to participate in the development of the digital economy.
