In an effort to create a skilled pool of professionals to tap into emerging work opportunities in the global digital economy, Talent Cloud company Gebeya and Microsoft have joined forces to upskill youth across Africa.

The pair have launched the Microsoft Talent Cloud platform targeting to empower roughly 300,000 youth in Africa with the most sought-after tech skills.

In the next three years, Gebeya and Microsoft plan to equip young talents with Microsoft-focused cloud and AI skills, offering them modern tools and resources besides connecting them with work opportunities across Microsoft’s ecosystem of over 30,000 partners and customers.

"To ensure local talent continues to thrive, we must first address major stumbling blocks, including limited access to skilling and employment opportunities within global tech firms," said Gerald Maithya, the General Manager of Microsoft Africa Transformation Office.

Where firms find professionals they need

Microsoft Talent Cloud, powered by Gebeya, is a central platform where Microsoft distributors, partners, and customers can find the businesses and professionals they need to further their digital transformation ambitions.

At the same time, talent looking to secure opportunities within the Microsoft ecosystem will now have a single platform from which they can acquire the latest Microsoft skills like Copilot and Fabric, find Microsoft-related jobs and gigs, access Microsoft-related business opportunities, and engage with a community of like-minded professionals.

Through training content such as Microsoft Learn, members will be upskilled in line with Microsoft’s industry-leading standards on topics such as Azure, AI, and cloud infrastructure management. The Talent Cloud will then match skilled individuals to partners in need of those key competencies.

"Microsoft is proud to work alongside Gebeya to help address these challenges and create much-needed opportunities for Africa’s young talent,” added Mr. Maithya.

The platform is already providing access to webinars, workshops, and conferences led by Microsoft industry leaders, offering real-time updates and insights to help developers stay ahead of the curve in Microsoft technologies.

Members will also have access to $200 worth of Azure Credits, enabling them to explore cutting-edge and monetizable Azure skills that are useful for SMEs, entrepreneurs, corporate, and freelance use.

Disruptive innovations: AI and machine learning

"We’ve seen how the most disruptive innovations shaping the future of our planet have been in AI and machine learning. It is no coincidence that Microsoft soared to the top as the most valuable company after its acquisition of OpenAI," noted Amadou Daffe, Co-Founder & CEO of Gebeya.

"The Microsoft Talent Cloud powered by Gebeya is one of several ways to galvanize Africa’s young population. Whether pursuing entrepreneurial ambitions or contributing to enterprises, our platform readies African talent for leadership in AI progress,” said Amadou Daffe.

Microsoft Talent Cloud, which is accessible at an annual fee of $99 (about Kes15,000), also addresses one of the biggest barriers to digital learning and certifications in Africa, ensuring equitable opportunities for skills development and career advancement across Africa.

Gebeya first made a name for itself in the software developer EdTech space, thereafter evolving into a trusted SaaS-enabled Talent Marketplace connecting Africans to jobs globally, and over time, driving strategic collaborations with some of the world’s foremost Fortune 500s.

Read also: Sparking growth in emerging tech startups

Refining Africa’s participation in digital economy

Its journey paved the way for this latest milestone partnership with Microsoft – seeing Gebeya well-positioned to achieve its goal of helping redefine Africa’s participation in the new digital economy.

Early this year, Gebeya also entered into a partnership with global online learning powerhouse O'Reilly, a leading source of insight-driven learning on technology and business and trusted by more than 2.8 million users.

Microsoft Talent Cloud members will have access to O’Reilly’s library of over 5,000 expert-developed and on-demand courses – with content from some of the biggest publishers in the world, such as Harvard Business Review, Pearson, Wiley, and more.

Through the Microsoft Talent Cloud platform, members will also have access to curated O’Reilly learning paths aligned with Microsoft courses, industry-recognized O’Reilly badges certifying Azure competencies, more than 160 Azure labs, unlimited sandbox environments, specialized Azure courses, and practice exams – all preparing them to meet Microsoft ecosystem needs.

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