Training digital skills and 
fostering employment

Youth unemployment is a global problem that also affects most African countries. Young people at risk of unemployment are not only those without education or training, but also those who have a vocational or higher education qualification.

On the other hand, companies have a growing need for highly skilled IT workers. However, the vocational training systems in many African countries inadequately prepare learners for the job market. This not only limits the competitiveness of many companies, but also diminishes the job prospects of young people.

As one of the leading telecommunications providers in Africa and the Middle East, Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) wished to be at the forefront of digital transformation in the project regions, expand further into the African market, and drive innovation. Along the way, it faced various challenges such as a lack of skilled labour and poor technological infrastructure.

Through the project, OMEA and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH created training opportunities by establishing the Orange Digital Centers (ODC) to develop the skills of young people in and for the IT sector, and support job placement and startups. OMEA and GIZ worked together in 14 countries in the context of the develoPPP Programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Invest for Jobs supported the implementation of the project in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia. Invest for Jobs equipped the Orange Digital Centers, provided information about market needs in digital skills to tailor-make the training content, supported job fairs and hackathons and connected graduates from the training programmes to job opportunities.

The ODCs were the main tools utilised in the project implementation. Created with financial support from Invest for Jobs provided between 2019 and 2023, the ODCs subsist beyond the project completion. They continue to combine several programmes that support youth and entrepreneurship. These programmes range from education and training to start-up support, from start-up acceleration to investment. Each ODC comprised Coding Schools equipped with computers and software. During the project’s implementation phase, ODC experts offered free training, workshops, internships, and professional retraining. It also offered events and challenges based on real-world web and mobile programming, and on the entire spectrum of modern software development. These courses were aimed at young graduates and non-graduates alike, at students as well as people without diplomas and entrepreneurs. In addition to these courses, the project offered discussion rounds and workshops on IT-related topics as well as national and supra-regional innovation competitions.

After the completion of the project with Invest for Jobs in 2023, the centres continue to run: The training and startup support activities continue and are free and accessible for all. As of 2025, the ODCs started the FabLab Solidaire, a digital manufacturing space with prototyping capacities, where students can experiment and learn through innovative digital technologies. Fablab spaces are equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, and various other programmable hardware. Additionally, each ODC hosts Orange Fab, a start-up accelerator which provides resources to help IT founders to rapidly grow, develop, and expand their businesses. In regions located beyond the reach of ODCs, smaller local branches called ODC Clubs offer training and events related to software development and soft skills at universities or youth centres.

The Orange Digital Centers act as a link between companies, universities and students. They also cooperate with each other across borders. Due to their good network, ODCs foster large-scale exchanges of experience and expertise, creating business for start-ups and nurturing opportunities for young people across Europe and Africa.