Microsoft has announced the launch of Student Advantage, a programme that will offer its Office 365 ProPlus software freely to qualified students in an effort to “participate in the modernisation of teaching methods and improve the employability of youth.”

The tech giant’s Worldwide Public Sector Education Vice President, Anthony Salcito made the announcement at a meeting in Tunisia with students from across the country adding that the selected beneficiaries would be of institutions that subscribe to Office 365 ProPlus or Office Professional Plus for all staff and faculties.

“Students use Microsoft Office every day to complete their most important academic tasks. Having access to Office 365 will allow them to not only become familiar with the technologies they will find in the workplace, but to also have skills that are now essential to employers,” Salcito said.

The programme will be made available in Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Angola, Zimbabwe, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Mauritius, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Morocco.

Meanwhile, at the second day of the African Ministerial Forum, which is focused on the integration of ICT in education and training, Salcito explained the importance of integrating the tools of digital technology to develop a high quality education experience.

At the Forum, he witnessed the signing of a partnership agreement between Microsoft and the Association for Education Development in Africa (ADEA), which aims to share knowledge and best practices around the integration of ICT in education, and promote expansion projects and initiatives that will accelerate the development of education and training in Africa.

Office 365 ProPlus includes all the familiar and full Office applications, which can be locally installed on up to five devices and are available offline.