Microsoft, YES to train 300K unemployed youth in AI

Microsoft South Africa has partnered with the Youth Employment Service (YES) to provide artificial intelligence (AI) training to 300,000 unemployed youth in South Africa.

Microsoft SA Managing Director, Kalane Rampai, announced the partnership during Microsoft's 'AI, A New Era' event held in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday.

Furthermore, the new AI initiative is part of the tech giant's broader efforts to address unemployment and the digital skills gap on the African continent.

YES is a program that provides work experience to previously unemployed youth in South Africa.

Rampai said the new initiative will entail curated training material which will create a training path to address the different levels of exposure to AI and computer science.

"The three pillars that underpin AI for Microsoft are democratizing AI, responsible AI and upskilling, hence the partnership with YES," Rampai added.

"The scale of the AI youth training platform intervention, namely aiming to train 300,000 young people in South Africa, underlines how we are democratizing AI and aiming to leave behind as few people as possible," he explained.

He said the courses will be aimed at novices and experts to expose them to AI and for participants to explore a potential career in AI, as well as highlighting the potential of AI to solve pressing social problems.

The YES collaboration

The Microsoft South Africa MD said the training could be a potential catalyst to help resolve some of the high levels of unemployment in the country.

"This collaborative effort with Microsoft is a testament to our ongoing commitment to equipping the youth with the digital skills for future-facing sectors and careers," added YES CEO Ravi Naidoo.

The significant number of beneficiaries underscores the scale of impact we want to achieve through this partnership," Naidoo continued.

The AI initiative is part of Microsoft's broader efforts to address unemployment and the digital skills gap on the African continent. (Source: Image by Freepik).

Microsoft Africa President Lillian Barnard said the continent is optimistic about the opportunities that AI can bring.

She believes that AI brings hope to help solve some of the most pressing challenges on the continent.

"Together with YES, we are not only addressing the pressing issue of youth unemployment but also helping create a culture of innovation and employability through digital capability building," she continued.

"This partnership delivers on these three pillars as the means to grow a new talent pool for digital businesses to tap into not only in South Africa, but the rest of the world," Barnard concluded.

Closing the digital skills gap

Microsoft has been at the forefront of closing the digital skills gap on the African continent through its different partnerships.

Earlier this month, it partnered with M-Pesa Africa to supply digital skills development for African micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Microsoft's skilling programs, available through M-Pesa business solutions, aim to empower MSMEs to develop the knowledge needed to manage their finances more effectively, including building skills such as basic accounting, financial planning and cash-flow management.

In September 2023, Microsoft South Africa, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Wits Business School also released a report detailing the potential societal benefits of AI for South Africa.

That report details how although it is in its early stages, generative AI is maturing rapidly and is on track to become one of the most transformative technologies.

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*Top image is of from left: Microsoft South Africa Managing Director Kalane Rampai, YES CEO Ravi Naidoo and Microsoft Africa President Lillian Barnard. (Source: Microsoft South Africa).

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa

Image by Freepik