Unlock true potential of Africa by empowering its youth

26th October 2018

     

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Africa evokes distinctive images of its natural wildlife and majestic landscapes. Of course, there is more to the Africa story, driven by its people, tremendous talent pool, and the untapped resources that will take the continent to the next level of growth in the coming years.
 
Sustainable Industrialisation through enhanced skills
A differentiating strength of Africa is its youth dividend. With 60 per cent of the workforce under the age of 30 years, it is estimated that by 2050, one of every four workers in the world will be from Africa and by the end of the century 40 per cent of the population will be African.  Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Lagos in Nigeria are billed to be among the top 10 largest cities in the world.

With such unprecedented growth in population, especially the youth, gaining momentum, it is important that we look at sharpening their skills. It is important that we harness the energy and zeal of young Africa not only to drive the continent’s prosperity but also because Africa will be at the heart of the new trade routes – with the large cities being hubs of commerce.

Africa does not have a one-size-fits-all formula to boost its growth narrative. Each country has its distinct cultural identity and social ethos. But there is one unifying code that drives the socio-economic progress of the continent. That is the power of young people to transform their economies.  

The more we empower the youth of Africa the faster it will progress. It will establish Africa as the super-power known for skills, training, industrialization, banking and technology. A bottom-up and result oriented approach to skills development with accountability, self-governance and policy coherence, will also accelerate the tread of the African continent towards achieving the larger objectives of Agenda 2063. Young talents in Africa are the future of the continent and we must unlock their true potential through need-based skills training to drive a culture of industry and enterprise.

Focus on skills of the future
The South African department of Higher Education and Training, in May 2014 identified high-level, world-class engineering skills, artisans and technical skills, ICT skills and mathematics and sciences teachers as a national scarcity. There is a serious need of STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, apart from robotics & coding and technical training and the government is still working towards this.

To further drive skill development in Africa, we have set up our technical training academy in Chloorkop, South Africa offering accredited best in class technical training to engineering apprentices and the training has been globally recognized by the World Economic Forum.

At thyssenkrupp, we believe that investing in Africa’s young talent is our duty and responsibility. While there are concerted moves to ramp up the skills of youth, it is important that we focus on instilling skills of the future in these young people. We are fully committed towards the growth of Africa and are confident about its vison and long-term goals. That is why we work closely with Africa in revamping its urban mobility solutions across 15 airports in countries such as Algeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.

Most recently, in Ghana in West Africa, we have installed 60 advanced solutions at the Kotoka International Airport Terminal 3. We have also developed solutions that are customised for Africa such as the Tanzania ‘skid-mounted’ chlorine plant to produce chlorine for disinfection and water treatment. It is a perfect example of how we drive home-grown manufacturing, reduce the economic burden of imports, and help the exchequer gain revenues through exports.

AFRIKA KOMMT! also known as Africa is coming!, is an exemplary initiative that focuses on the development of the future generation of business leaders. It is led by large German private sector companies and offers young professionals from Africa the opportunity to learn and practice advanced management skills during a one year talent development program. They spend three months in management and language skills trainings and then eight months traineeship in the company – which not only helps in building their skills – but also in fostering stronger ties between German companies and African nations.

thyssenkrupp has been associated with AFRIKA KOMMT! since 2014. We train several young people from Sub-Saharan Africa in our German companies, enabling them to acquire a hands-on understanding of how we operate as a global enterprise. It also opens doors for them to gain insights into the advances in industries – and how our technologies are supporting Africa in driving its infrastructure development. It is very fulfilling to see the young professionals grow personally and professionally – as well as drive stronger cultural linkages between Germany and African nations. We are proud that those new leaders later choose to join thyssenkrupp family in Sub-Saharan Africa region and take important roles in the further development of the region.

All this would be impossible without having on-ground talent with the skill-sets that are central to powering the industrial sector. Indeed, developing the skills of youth is what takes the nation forward, and we are focused on supporting it.
 
Written by Thabo Molekoa,
CEO Regional Office Sub-Saharan Africa.
For more information, please contact thyssenkrupp on +27 11 236 1000
www.thyssenkrupp.com
 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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