Orange Digital Center partners with Coursera to launch a free high-level certification training program. The initiative targets youth in Africa and the Middle East. This initiative aims to equip them with vital digital skills, accessible at their own pace.
Through its 16 centers across the region, Orange Digital Center (ODC) drives digital inclusion for young people and entrepreneurs. The program focuses on areas like artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship, addressing the evolving job market’s demands.
Innovation and Youth Empowerment
ODC provides physical hubs for innovation and learning. These spaces foster an environment where youth can hone skills, explore technologies, and unleash creativity. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, these centers support individuals along the innovation and entrepreneurship spectrum.
Executive Director of CSR at Orange Digital Centers and Communication for Orange Africa and the Middle East, Asma Ennaifer says “At Orange, we firmly believe that digital inclusion is the key to creating a fairer and more prosperous future for everyone. In partnership with Coursera and through the Orange Digital Centers, we are opening the doors of certification training to all our beneficiaries, offering educational and professional development opportunities to those who need them most.” she said
Empowerment Opportunities, Employment Opportunities
According to International Labour Organisation (ILO), in Africa, a youth unemployment rate of 12.7 per cent masks the fact that many youths have chosen to withdraw from the labour market altogether. Over one in five young people in Africa were not in employment, education, or training (NEET) in 2020, and the trend has been deteriorating. The Arab States have the highest and the fastest growing unemployment rate of young people worldwide, projected at 24.8 per cent in 2022. The situation is worse for young women in the region, with 42.5 per cent unemployment in 2022, which is almost three times as high as the global average for young women (14.5 per cent).
Orange is present in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East where it had over 149 million customers on December 31, 2023. With €7.1 billion in turnover in 2023, Orange MEA is the Group’s main growth region. Orange Money, with its money transfer and financial services offer is available in 17 countries and has 90 million customers. Orange, a multi-service operator, benchmark partner of the digital transformation, provides its expertise to support the development of new digital services in Africa and the Middle EastThe post Global telco offers digital career courses first appeared on IT News Africa | Business Technology, Telecoms and Startup News.