Safaricom, ICT Authority Launch Connect Academy

Safaricom PLC has launched the Connect Academy, a programme that will offer premier industrial training for fibre optic technicians.

The company announced this launch on the sidelines of the Connected Africa Summit happening at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya. The academy aligns with Safaricom’s commitment to investing in robust fiber optic networks in Kenya and Ethiopia as well as the ICT Authority’s initiative to roll out extensive fiber networks, public Wi-Fi hotspots, and Digital Village Smart Hubs.

It is part of the Presidential DigiTalent Programme, a Public-Private Partnership Programme whose key components are Skill development, on-the-job coaching, mentorship, training, certification, and ICT innovations.

“Our target is to grow a world-class 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 of 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 at Safaricom.

The Connect Academy, which will be implemented in partnership with the ICT Authority, will start as a training program and transition into a full-fledged academy. It will offer comprehensive training programs to produce highly skilled fiber optic and fixed wireless technicians. The participants will gain hands-on experience, theoretical knowledge, and practical skills for successful network deployment.

Speaking after the signing of the cooperative agreement, Stanley Kamanguya, CEO of ICT Authority, highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in the realization of digital transformation in Africa.

“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,” he said.