Safaricom Digital Academy Saves 60 Employees From the Sack

Safaricom (NSE: SCOM) has unveiled a programme to train employees looking to shift to new digital careers. Known as The Digital Academy, the initiative especially caters to employees working in technology careers that are becoming automated.

In the first phase that began early this year, Safaricom has already trained 60 of its staff and placed them in new roles. An industry first, the initiative is helping the company bridge a shortage of talent as customers shift to increasingly digital lifestyles.

This digital transformation has been behind the growth in the demand for data scientists, data analysts, and new-age programming experts amongst other roles.

“Safaricom operates in a fast-paced environment where technology is ever-changing,” says Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph. “Recent advances have automated sections of our network meaning that certain careers will soon no longer be necessary. At the same time, these changes are driving demand for new skills where there is a shortage of talent in the market.”

Joseph said Safaricom Digital Academy is a human resource innovation that has enabled Safaricom to both empower its staff with new skills and to have the right mix of talent.

The Safaricom Digital Academy offered a six-month full-time course in five programmes including Technology Automation, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Data Science, Emerging Network Technologies and Mobile Application Development.

The first three months of the course were classroom-based with the last three months seeing the employees practically applying their new skills in developing new workplace innovations.

Digital learning at Safaricom

Among the tools that the employees have developed during the training is a Data Revenue Analysis and Prediction Tool, and a Home Fibre Customer Satisfaction Analysis Solution.

All 60 employees remained employed for the duration of the programme with Safaricom also fully footing the costs of the training. Following the success of the first phase of the programme, the company plans to partner with both local and global players to roll out the Safaricom Digital Academy to more of its staff in the coming months.

Besides the Safaricom Digital Academy, the mobile services operator has also deployed a digital learning platform that will provide on-the-job training in more than 10,000 courses to its entire staff.

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