The American tech giant Microsoft has announced its plans to provide opportunities to 1 million South African people in artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber security by the year 2026.
As reported by the Bitcoin News, building on its commitment to train 30 million Africans in digital skills over the next five years, Microsoft continues to invest in digital skills development across Africa and the Middle East.
Microsoft aims to provide practical skills and industry-recognized certifications to South African youth to increase their employment worldwide in the job market.
Lillian Barnard, President for Microsoft Africa, said at the company’s “AI Tour” at Sandton, Johannesburg that Microsoft aims to set up all the sectors from companies to government and the youth.
She further added, “Harnessing the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic vision, but a tangible reality for organisations seeking to achieve exponential growth and optimisation.”
However, Microsoft aims to bridge the skills gap and create new employment opportunities for young people by highlighting the increasing importance of AI in job markets today, and in the future.
Microsoft will give complete training in artificial intelligence and machine learning to people for high-tech jobs in various industries, boosting youth employment and enabling inclusive economic growth.
Barnard said, “The launch of this AI skilling initiative for South Africa is not just about individual advancement, but more importantly about uplifting entire communities. We believe that by democratising access to AI education, we are creating a more equitable digital future for all.”
She further added that “Microsoft is the first global “hyperscale” public cloud provider to build data centres in South Africa, has trained four million Africans in the last five years and has committed to train 30 million Africans in the next five years”.
[cryptotimes]