Huawei Technologies Kenya Chief Executive Officer Dean Yu (R) congratulates Maria Nyaga, a student of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, after being presented with an air ticket during a joint flag off session at the ICT Authority offices in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Oct. 13, 2016. Nine top students drawn from local universities in Kenya are set to enjoy a two-week fellowship and training programme in advanced Information Technology systems at the Huawei Global Headquarters in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Charles Onyango)
NAIROBI, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese technology giant Huawei is providing high-end information and communications technology (ICT) training for Kenyan youth.
By 2017, Huawei aims to support training of 100 Kenyan youth in high end ICT courses by 2017, says the CEO of Huawei in Kenya, Dean Yu.
Yu said provision of high end ICT skills to the youth will boost their career prospects.
Nine Kenyan university students departed for China last week to participate in a two-week internship program sponsored by technology giant Huawei.
"The two weeks spent in China is an opportunity for these top students to study and gain work experience as well as exposure required to fit in a globalized business environment," he said.
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Victor Kyalo, hailed the partnership with Huawei to facilitate skills transfer for the youth.
"Provision of ICT skills to the young generation is in line with Kenya's digital transformation agenda. We look forward to a robust partnership with Huawei to bridge skills gap in the ICT sector," Kyalo said.
The nine students who will participate in the 2016 Huawei Seeds for the Future Internship program are drawn from leading Kenyan universities.
Victor Kyalo (2nd L, back), Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology (ICT) and Huawei Technologies Kenya Chief Executive Officer Dean Yu (2nd R, back) pose for a group photo with students displaying their air-tickets during a joint flag off session at the ICT Authority offices in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Oct. 13, 2016. Nine top students drawn from local universities in Kenya are set to enjoy a two-week fellowship and training programme in advanced Information Technology systems at the Huawei Global Headquarters in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Charles Onyango)
Kyalo noted that since its launch in 2014, Huawei Seeds for the Future program has provided a platform for Kenyan youth to hone their skills in ICT.
"We require a critical pool of highly skilled youth to support implementation of a national ICT master-plan. Their input in the rolling out of broadband infrastructure in rural areas is critical," said Kyalo.
The two-week intensive training program for Kenyan students will be conducted at the global headquarters of Huawei in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.
After completing the two-week study tour in China, the students will also benefit from a two-month internship at Huawei offices in Kenya.
Huawei has partnered with Kenya's ICT authority to implement its flagship Seeds for the Future Program that aims to develop local ICT talent through training, mentorship and technology transfer.
