Huawei opens digital power talent development programme for Africans
By Innocent Obasi
Huawei Digital Power has introduced its talent development programme in sub-Saharan Africa in order to upskill 1,000 practitioners and tertiary students in the region with technical knowledge and skills in the digital power arena.
The programme, which the tech giant announced during the Solar Show Africa 2022, is a part of its commitment to collaborate with stakeholders to promote the development and ecosystem building of the African solar industry.
“Africa has immense potential when it comes to renewables and solar energy in particular,” Xia Hesheng, president of Huawei Southern Africa Digital Power Business, said.
“In fact, African countries have more than 40 percent of the world’s solar energy resources. It’s critical that the right skills are in place in order to unlock that potential. At Huawei, we are committed to working with all industry stakeholders to ensure that the right skillsets are in place,” Hesheng said.
The investment and programme come at a time when it is becoming increasingly obvious that renewables will be essential to helping Africa meet both its development objectives and its climate commitments.
In contrast to the 90.5 percent global average, just 48.4 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa currently have access to electricity. Nevertheless, by 2030, it is expected that renewable energy would account for 22 percent of all energy consumed in Africa.
In order to maximize the efficiency of the transition to renewable energy, digital technologies will be essential. Every stage of power generation, transmission, storage, trading, and use will be digitalized in the future of renewable energy in order to be better monitored and managed at the lowest possible cost, safety, dependability, and efficiency. Huawei excels at that due to its ICT knowledge. As a result, its involvement offers a very valuable addition to the African sector in terms of enhancing solutions and upskilling staff.
The training will put a strong emphasis on ensuring that each participant has the appropriate certification required to take part in the continent’s solar space programme. As a result, continuous industry certifications will be strengthened, technical professionalism will increase, local technology and talent transfer will be encouraged, and the rate of hiring and retaining highly competent technical professionals will also increase.
The Huawei Digital Power Talent Programme will include practical work, on-site practice sessions, and a training camp in addition to a theoretical component.