Orange and OpenClassrooms have signed a broad-based partnership to train young Africans in digital technology
Several Orange subsidiaries in Africa are already working on the launch of training centres providing online courses via OpenClassrooms.
To rise to the challenge of the digital revolution in Africa, students and teachers alike need to be trained in the new technology. There are two objectives for countries in Africa such as to use digital technology to boost growth and to focus on new sectors of business that create jobs. In both cases, it is essential to train young Africans to ensure the economic development of the continent in the decades to come and avoid the brain drain of strategic skills for its development.
By 2050, the African population will double to reach 2.5bn, half of whom will be under the age of 25, according to estimates by the UN. Investing in education, in particular e-education, is an absolute priority to overcome the lack of physical and technical infrastructure.
The partnership between Orange and OpenClassrooms will be formed on two levels:
· The students will have access to the OpenClassrooms courses via the mobile network. The courses can be followed on the student’s smartphone for subjects that don’t require a computer (Understanding the web, The network, Big data, Bitcoin, etc), or on a computer with internet access via the user’s smartphone for instance, for courses on programming.
· Digital training centres will be established based on the OpenClassrooms diploma with ‘Guaranteed employment’ commitment, with the help of local partners, whose premises will be used as training and examination centres.
“The digital revolution is an exceptional opportunity for Africa, both as an accelerator for development and for new sectors of activity where it can excel. Africa needs to train hundreds of thousands of young people in digital technology in order to seize this opportunity,” explained Bruno Mettling, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa.
After providing access in Africa to educational content via smartphone in association with the CNED, the partnership illustrates a new stage in the ‘Orange Digital School’ project targeting students, teachers, universities and schools.
The cooperation will rely on local Orange entities in Africa and the Middle East, in association with African partners such as the Virtual Universities and young African startups. Other agreements will follow with other institutions and partners in the field of education and online digital technical and professional training in French.
