Safaricom has launched the Connect Academy, a program to offer industrial training for fibre optic technicians in Kenya and Ethiopia. The program was unveiled on the sidelines of the Connected Africa Summit 2024, and will offer comprehensive training programs to produce highly skilled fiber optic and fixed wireless technicians..
The Connect Academy is part of the Presidential DigiTalent Program, a public-private partnership program whose key components are skill development, on-the-job coaching, mentorship, training, certification, and ICT innovations. The Academy, which will be implemented in partnership with the ICT Authority, will begin as a training program and transition into a full-fledged academy. Participants will gain hands-on experience, theoretical knowledge, and practical skills for successful network deployment.
Speaking at the signing of the cooperative agreement, Stanley Kamanguya, CEO, ICT Authority noted, “This academy feeds right into our plan to collaborate with the private sector in our digital transformation agenda. We have been very consistent that as government we cannot do this alone and that’s why we’ve been calling upon the private sector to come in and support and collaborate with us. The signing with Safaricom is a testament of the collaboration that we have be talking about and we thank them for taking the lead. Together, we shall empower people, and shape a Connected Africa.”
“Our target is to grow a worldclass broadband connectivity talent pool for both public & private sectors in partnership with TVETs. This will create employment and a career path for Kenyan youth who lack higher education. We intend to have the first cohort of 200 begin in May. They will go through a full day training offered by our engineers every Friday for three months. We will also engage with TVETs to have fixed broadband included as part of their curriculum to grow the workforce,” said Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi, Chief Consumer Business Officer, Safaricom.