Shortage of experts in Europe – IT talents in Africa
How can jobs and apprenticeships be created in Africa’s digital service sector? How is the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" promoting the local digital economy? These and other questions were the focus of the online panel discussion ‘Digitalisation as a driver for employment?’ held by the German Africa Foundation and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on 20 May.
Participants in the panel discussion included BMZ State Secretary Martin Jäger and German and African business representatives from the digital economy. Around 100 people from the political sphere, the private sector and civil society followed the discussion via livestream.
There was a consensus among the panellists that Europe’s shortage of IT experts needs to be better connected with the availability of professionals in Africa. This is the focus of the Special Initiative’s projects: for example by training IT professionals locally so that they can then work in the IT service sector and in customer experience management for international clients.
You can find a short video of the event below. A detailed description of the event is available on the website of the German Africa Foundation.