Kathy Gibson reports – Microsoft has upped the ante on its skills development commitment.
Just weeks ago the company announced its intention to bring artificial intelligence skills to 1-million South Africans. “You can think of this as a broad effort,” says Brad Smith, co-chair and president of Microsoft.
“But, in addition to breadth, depth makes all the difference in building a strong economy. So we will be paying for an additional 50 000 people to take additional courses, with certified qualifications.”
The training and certification will be in high-demand skills like AI, data science, cybersecurity analysis and cloud solution architecture.
By combining skills training with recognised certifications, Microsoft aims to create a future-ready workforce for South Africa and beyond. “These people will have the skills and the credentials, so you know they can do the jobs,” Smith says.
In its 30 years operation in South Africa, Microsoft has supported a number of skills development programmes.
In 2024, more than 150 000 people were trained in digital and AI skills, 95 000 certified and 1 800 secured employment opportunities through Microsoft’s Skills for Jobs programme.