Tech hardware manufacturer Cisco has pledged to provide cybersecurity training for 125,000 African youth over the next five years as demand grows for tech skills.
This is part of the U.S. tech company’s commitment to train 1 million young Africans with skills that prepare them for the careers of the future, according to a press release.
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Cisco plans to train the students through its Networking Academies which were launched in 1998. Almost 700,000 Africans have learned digital skills through the academies which are in 48 of Africa’s 54 countries, ITWeb reports.
In South Africa alone, Cisco has academies operating in more than 60 centers including universities, colleges, churches and community organizations.
Cisco has identified cybersecurity as one of the skills expected to be in high demand.
A skills shortage already exists in this sector and the company has committed to training 125,000 cybersecurity experts in the next five years, TechAfrica reports.
There are expected to be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally by 2021, with developing countries experiencing the greatest shortage of skills, according to Academia.
Africa’s level of commitment to cybersecurity is the lowest globally, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) 2017 Global Cybersecurity Index reported.
Only two countries on the continent – Mauritius and Egypt – are considered to be in the leading stage of demonstrating high commitment to cybersecurity.
Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa only made it into the maturing stage of the index.
Cisco’s Networking Academies have trained more than 9.2 million students in 180 countries, according to NetCad.Students take IT courses that lead to internationally-recognized certifications. They can take courses online or in person at one of the 10,400 global locations.
