Leading business operations and network services provider, Tata Communications Transformation Services (TCTS), has unveiled its Skill Africa Program to train engineers on the continent in collaboration with the Smart Africa Alliance.
The programme, aimed at addressing the shortage of skills in the technological industry and the broader issue of the digital divide, will see approximately 150 engineers from across Africa receive training on a variety of next-generation technologies. These include Cyber-security, Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud, Big data, Robotics and Smart Cities.
According to the Executive Chairman and CEO of TCTS, Madhusudhan Mysore, the company launched the training scheme to provide hands-on experience in technology and operations of ICT networks. Addressing the skills gap, the executive explained, is a prerequisite to ensuring long-term sustainability and growth in ICT services.
Also part of the objectives of the Skill Africa program is to help modernise the telecoms and IT infrastructure, charting the course for the future of the industry in preparation for the 4th Industrial Revolution. “We are committed to accelerating Africa’s journey to the 4th Industrial Revolution through enabling ICT infrastructure across the continent,” Mysore said.
Further commenting on the importance of the programme regarding the rapid digital transformation currently happening globally, Smart Africa’s Director-General, Lacina Koné noted that African engineers and professionals need to be equipped with the requisite skill sets in order for the continent to be ready for the jobs of the future.
To Koné, the Skill Africa Program is “about more than just training 150 African people but also about starting a skills transfer chain where the initial 150 can exponentially impart these skills to thousands across Africa.”
The 150 African engineers that will benefit from the skills development programme will come from the 25 Smart Africa Alliance member states. Each of them is required to designate six engineering professionals to take part in the Skill Africa Program. Once selected, the engineers will attend the program at TCTS Renaissance Training Centre in India.
Each 30-member cohort will be trained for an intensive one-week period with the first group expected to start in October. Training periods will begin at the beginning of every month for a week-long training session, with the final group expected to complete the training before the Transform Africa Summit 2020.
Founded in 2006, Tata Communications Transformation Services (TCTS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Communications Limited, an Indian telecommunications company and member of the Tata Group.
