Huawei steps up drive for Kenyan ICT talent amid business growth

Published:June03,2022

Chinese telecom firm Huawei said Wednesday it has intensified efforts to absorb more Kenyan information communication technology (ICT) professionals by starting its national recruitment drive as its business continues to grow, requiring additional local talent.

Huawei Eastern Africa Deputy CEO of Public Affairs Fiona Pan said that Huawei has 35 positions on offer and a further 15 positions with its partners that will involve placing both interns and permanent staff. “Huawei remains committed to providing technology training and hiring the best talent and that is why today we have organized this job fair to expose university students to the opportunities that are available for those who wish to pursue careers in ICT,” Pan said during this year’s edition of the annual Huawei Kenya Job Fair held in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. 

She said that the ICT sector continues to register remarkable growth and that demand for qualified technology professionals across all productive sectors will remain high for the foreseeable future.

Abednego Kamandi, the principal education officer in the Ministry of Education, said that the ICT sector is one of the fastest-growing and provides an avenue for jobs in ICT companies like Huawei as well as opportunities for entrepreneurship. 

Kamandi noted that partnerships between private sector players and the government are designed to foster interest and enhance skill sets through internships, apprenticeships and graduate programs like Huawei’s. 

“The government recognizes how critical it is to bridge and link academia with industry and as such we are fully supportive of activities such as this ICT job fair today,” Kamandi said. “I want to congratulate Huawei for organizing this job fair and taking the lead in proactively bridging the gap between industry and academia.”

The Huawei Kenya Job Fair, in its third year, brought nearly 300 students from universities across Kenya to learn about the job opportunities in the market, meet potential employers and undertake initial interviews for the graduate program. 

Huawei said that successful recruits will also receive further training and work on the latest technologies including 5G networks, data centers and fintech. Johnson Kinyua, dean of Students at the University of Nairobi, said that future job opportunities are in the ICT sector, urging students to combine what they learn in class with online courses offered by companies like Huawei as well as practical skills in order to succeed. 

Xinhua