NAIROBI, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kenya's State Department for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to promote digital skills development for the local workforce.
The three-year agreement, formalized during the recently concluded Southern Africa Region Huawei ICT Competition award ceremony, aims to equip Kenya's youthful workforce with advanced ICT skills, Huawei said in a statement released here on Wednesday.
"This collaboration with Huawei is a vital step in equipping Kenyan youth with the digital skills required to succeed in the global economy," said Esther Mworia, principal secretary in the State Department for TVET.
"By integrating industry-driven training into our TVET system, we are narrowing the skills gap and opening doors to rewarding careers in Kenya's expanding ICT sector," she added.
As part of the partnership, Huawei will establish 150 ICT academies within Kenya's TVET institutions to offer specialized training in networking, cloud computing, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, according to the company.
The collaboration will also lead to the certification of 1,000 students annually at the Huawei Certified ICT Associate level and the training of 150 instructors each year through a Train-the-Trainer program.
Huawei will further organize annual ICT competitions, job fairs, and workshops to connect students with career opportunities, strengthening industry-academia linkages.
For their part, Kenya's TVET institutions will host the Huawei ICT academies, actively promote Huawei's certification programs across the country, and officially recognize the Huawei-certified instructor certificate as a standard of ICT teaching excellence.
Xu Yongbo, director of Huawei Southern Africa, said by tapping into Huawei's technological strengths, Kenya will address the skills gap that has hindered the growth of the digital economy while positioning itself as an innovation hub.
A report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, a state agency, said that about 70 percent of local youth lack the necessary skills to meet the demands of the digital economy.
Huawei said the new partnership is expected to significantly enhance Kenya's ICT talent pool and cement the country's position as a regional leader in digital skills development.
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