Microsoft and Gebeya's Vision: Empowering African Youth for Cloud Careers

A Platform for Digital Skill Development

In a transformative partnership, Microsoft and Gebeya are set to launch Microsoft.Gebeya.com, a platform designed to cultivate essential digital skills among African youth. This initiative aims to empower them for thriving careers in cloud computing, targeting the upskilling of 300,000 developers across 8 African countries over the next three years. The focus will be on cloud and AI skills, equipping the youth to build innovative solutions on Microsoft Azure. The application window is set to open in January 2024.

Building on a Solid Foundation

This groundbreaking initiative builds upon a foundation laid in 2020 when Microsoft and Gebeya jointly launched Ethiopia’s first virtual SkillsLab. The lab provided apprentice-style coding training to over 1,200 software engineers. Now, with Microsoft's technical expertise and expansive reach, Gebeya aims to scale its impact and further its commitment to upskilling and job creation in Africa.

Realizing Africa's Talent Potential

For Gebeya's CEO, this collaboration marks a significant milestone in harnessing Africa's talent potential through comprehensive upskilling and job creation. The ambitious goal of upskilling 300,000 developers reflects the shared commitment to realizing Africa's digital prowess.

Nurturing Tech Professionals

With a legacy of 30 years in building Africa's digital capacity, Microsoft has already upskilled over 4 million youth in the past five years alone. The General Manager of Microsoft’s Africa Transformation Office emphasizes the pivotal role of nurturing tech professionals in unlocking the continent's innovation potential.

Bridging the Global Tech Skills Gap

This collaborative effort seeks to address the global tech skills gap while positioning Africa as a hub for tech talent. Key highlights include:

1. Training and Equipping Developers

- Training 300,000 developers in building solutions on Microsoft Cloud over three years, with an ambitious target of 150,000 in the first year.

- Equipping developers with GitHub Copilot proficiency for faster, error-reduced coding.

- Microsoft's commitment to providing platform deployment support, Azure credits, and marketing assistance.

2. Certification and Talent Connection

- Certifying 100,000 developers and connecting them to companies seeking their skills through the platform.

- Onboarding Microsoft-certified professionals onto a dedicated talent marketplace.

- Streamlining hiring processes through profile support and recruiter connections.

- Developing AI solutions on Azure to simplify access to opportunities.

- Utilizing contextual search and generative AI to precisely match talents and provide insights to recruiters.

- Accelerating transitions from junior to intermediate levels and boosting senior developer efficiency through AI.

3. Empowering Engineers for Entrepreneurial Journeys

- Identifying and empowering talented engineers to embark on entrepreneurial journeys through practical skills, mindset development, and ecosystem exposure.

Collective Effort for Ambitious Goals

As Gebeya's Chief Growth Officer rightly states, realizing these ambitious goals will require a collective effort across the ecosystem. However, it signifies a bold step toward empowering African youth with digital skills and cultivating world-class cloud talent on the continent.