Official: Majority of Safaricom graduates now employed

Majority of the Safaricom’s Connect Academy graduates have already secured job opportunities at Safaricom and partner organisations, thus demonstrating strong employment outcomes of the programme.

This was revealed on Tuesday, James Maitai, group chief technology and information officer at Safaricom,during the inaugural graduation ceremony of the 48 students of cohort one after the students completed the three-month programme.

Speaking during the event held at Michael Joseph Centre in Nairobi, Dr Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom Plc said the programme is a symbol of stepping into a digitally-led future.

“The Connect Academy to us represents our commitment to building Kenya’s digital future by investing in technical future-ready skills in the people who make connectivity possible,” said Dr Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom Plc.

He added: “Today, this graduating class is stepping into a digitally led future, and we are assured that the future is in good hands.”

Launched during the 2024 Connected Africa Summit, the academy, which is an initiative between Safaricom and the ICT Authority of Kenya  seeks to address Kenya’s growing demand for skilled digital infrastructure talent.

It equips young Kenyans with practical, industry-ready fibre deployment skills aligned with the country’s dynamic digital transformation.

The inaugural cohort was selected from Safaricom’s technician base, referrals from the Connected Africa Summit and community applicants, reflecting the programme’s commitment to accessible opportunities and inclusive digital upskilling.

During the rigorous three-month curriculum, the graduates received technical training, mentorship from industry experts and exposure to real-world work environments.

“This partnership couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time. As a country, we have a national goal of strengthening the ICT workforce,” said Zilpher Owiti, Ag. CEO ICT Authority Kenya.

She added: “By ensuring alignment of training with industry needs, the Connect Academy is helping to create a continuous pipeline of skilled technicians who will drive Kenya’s digital infrastructure expansion in the coming years.”

As the Connect Academy implements its future programmes with Cohort two starting in January, the two entities said they are committed to expanding opportunities for Kenya’s youth and refining the programme as needed to build a skilled workforce ready to drive the country’s national digital agenda forward.

The programme offers industrial training for fiber optic technicians, focusing on skills for network deployment.

While the Connect Academy focuses on this niche, Safaricom also provides a wide range of other tech and business-related courses through other initiatives, like the Safaricom Digital Skills Hub and the Safaricom Talent Cloud, which include subjects such as AI, software development, cybersecurity and business skills.