NAIROBI - Chinese technology firm Huawei has partnered with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Authority of Kenya to provide training to 377 students under the Presidential Digital Talent Program (PDTP) that seeks to develop and expand the ICT talent pool in the country.

Fiona Pan, Huawei Kenya's Deputy CEO for Public Affairs said the five-week virtual training which started on Monday will provide digital training courses on networking, cloud and artificial intelligence.

The Internet of Things and basic digital literacy under the Huawei Digitruck program are included.

"Huawei will continue to support local ICT talent development initiatives. Investing in Kenya's digital skills training is not only part of our corporate social responsibility but is also our duty as an organization to work together with the government and other stakeholders to address the digital skills gap," Pan said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

Under the programme, 246 trainees will take the networking course while 131 students will take the cloud and artificial intelligence courses.

Pan said the training will be conducted by certified Huawei trainers, with the students having access to training resources, including Massive Open Online Courses and e-Labs.

The ICT Authority has prioritized ICT skill development among youth to cater to the ever-growing demand for competent ICT specialists and engineers while ensuring that they can compete equally with counterparts from across the globe.

The training aims to address the skills gap by building capacity and developing local ICT skills and talent while equipping the trainees with knowledge on cutting-edge technology. Since 2015, Huawei has been supporting the PDTP, providing private sector internships, mentorship and training in addition to the annual innovation awards.

To date, more than 1,000 trainees have received training and certifications.