By KALOBWE BWALYA
AIRTEL Networks Zambia Plc has partnered with Smart Zambia Institute to provide digital skills training to school girls.
The agreement is also aimed at encouraging the school girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Under the programme, hosted by Smart Zambia Institute, 150 girls selected from three provinces will undergo digital skills training that will run throughout 2021.
Airtel Zambia managing director, Apoorva Mehrotra,.said the firm will support connectivity for the sessions through routers and data for the duration of the project.
According to the managing director, Airtel Will also provide mentors for the schoolgirls, drawn from across the business, in addition to offering job shadowing opportunities after the training.
Mr Mehrotra said the partnership is part of the Digital Transformation Centres initiative launched by the International Telecommunication Union.
This is the UN’s specialized agency for ICT, and digital communications and technology firm, CISCO.
And Mr Mehrotra added that without mathematics and technology, the telecommunications space will not have a future workforce of technicians and engineers needed for expanding, maintaining andinnovating the mobile platforms.”
Smart Zambia Institute national coordinator, Dr Martine Mtonga said the aim of the project is to inspire the girls and make them understand the benefits and the opportunities for undertaking STEM studies.
Meanwhile, Cisco systems Inc managing director Zambia, Hani Raad said Cisco is committed to progressively advance an inclusive future, by arming more learners across the world with digital skills.
He said working with Smart Zambia, Airtel Networks Zambia Plc and the ITU is proof that the next generation will be empowered with digitally skilled workforce.
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