Women Given Priority in Safaricom Technology Training Program

Safaricom Limited is in the process of recruiting a total of 63 university students, of which 40 of them will be women in their technology internship program.

The telecom has disclosed that they will also ensure that four of the positions have been given to people with disability. The internship program, which was started off in 2012, is set to equip students with training on technology.

Apart from training on technology, the program will also be expanded to include courses in application development, personal finance and inter-personal skills.

“We have carefully designed the structure of the academy to ensure participants are well prepared to tackle Kenya’s demanding technology sector,” said Safaricom director of technology Thibaud Rerolle.

The company began receiving applications for the program on Monday. The deadline for submitting applications is February 26.

Since the program’s inception, Safaricom has trained 360 students.  The telco last year offered two interns jobs while 20 more were absorbed by 18 companies that have partnerships with Safaricom.

Kenya has a deficit of qualified technology and engineering professionals. This has seen local technology firms partner with universities and other training institutions to bridge the gap.

Safaricom supports a telecommunications engineering program at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) while Chinese mobile manufacturer Huawei has a partnership with the University of Nairobi.

Related: Airtel Extends Support for Digital Literacy Through ‘She Will Connect’ Program