Safaricom Ethiopia, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Gebeya Talent have partnered to launch a six-month Software Development Training Program aimed at bridging the tech skills gap and tapping Ethiopia's untapped tech potential.
In a statement, it noted that the program
will train 50 graduates from all Universities in Ethiopia, who have already
undergone computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering &
Mathematics) courses.
According to
the statement, from 30 September 2023 until 30 March 2024, the program
offers a six-month intensive curriculum in which the trainees will receive
specialized training in Mobile Application Engineering, Back-end Engineering,
DevOps (Development Operations) Engineering, and Fundamentals of Software
Engineering.
“Candidates need to apply on www.gebeya.training/ethiopia/sr_jr/curriculum by
15 September 2023. All eligible applicants will undergo an online exam and
interview and get notified of successful application within 1 week. Tuition
costs will be partially covered by JICA and upon completion of the training,
trainees will receive a certificate and further support to get access to job
placements,” it said.
“This initiative is part of our purpose, ‘Transforming
Ethiopian Lives for a Digital Future,’ aimed at supporting young talent within
the framework of the governmental program ‘Digital Ethiopia 2025.’ Safaricom
Ethiopia is a co-builder of the curriculum designed to meet industry
requirements for businesses in the tech ecosystem. Together with JICA &
Gebeya, we’re empowering the next generation of tech leaders and innovators”, says Masahiro Miyashita, Chief
Strategy Officer of Safaricom Ethiopia.
“JICA is committed to supporting Ethiopia to achieve its
digital transformation and economic development goals. We are excited to launch
a new digital talent program that will train young people for careers in
engineering. This program will help to create a more skilled workforce and a
more competitive economy, and it has the potential to make a real difference in
the lives of Ethiopians”, says Morihara Katsuki, Chief Representative, the JICA Ethiopia Office.
“This program perfectly aligns with Gebeya's mission
of empowering individuals with the skills they need to excel in the tech
industry. The primary goal of this collaboration is to accelerate Ethiopia's
digital transformation, paving the way for an inclusive digital economy that
supports sustainable development and bridges the skills gap in the market”, says Amadou Daffe, CEO of Gebeya.
While initially
selecting a small group of applicants for the pilot program, the program has
ambitious plans to scale the initiative to train a much more significant number of
graduates and expand it to regional cities after 2024.
The six-month
Software Development Training Program is
made possible with the Digital transformation initiative of JICA, Safaricom
Ethiopia co-building the curriculum, and Gebeya Talent as the training
institution partner, to nurture a long-term capacity for software engineers in
Ethiopia, to collectively contribute significantly to Ethiopia's Digital
Transformation growth and the advancement of Africa as a whole.
By: Kanto Okanta
