Andela, the global marketplace for tech professionals, has unlocked its initiative to address the global tech talent shortage. To this end, the company has joined forces with the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and Linux Foundation Education to provide free cloud-native training to 20,000 African technologists.
The comprehensive program, set to launch next year, will run for two to three years, offering participants the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications including the Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) and Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD). The training pathway is expected to take six to nine months to complete.
This partnership comes at a crucial time when African developers are increasingly gaining global recognition. According to Google’s Africa Developer Ecosystem Report 2021, 38% of African software developers now work for companies outside the continent, highlighting the growing international demand for African tech talent.
“This partnership showcases the global impact of CNCF’s education programs. By standardizing cloud native knowledge, developers across the globe can confidently work toward certifications that will enable them to land developer positions both within their own countries and globally,” Chris Aniszczyk, CTO at the CNCF, said.
The initiative will leverage Andela’s extensive talent marketplace of 150,000 technology professionals across 49 African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. CNCF’s CTO Chris Aniszczyk emphasized that the partnership aims to standardize cloud-native knowledge globally while providing opportunities to communities that might otherwise lack access.
“By partnering with Andela, which has a long history of training technologists in Africa, we see great opportunity in providing our training to communities that may otherwise not have access. Together we can create a win-win for companies that need workers and workers that need opportunities,” Aniszczyk said.
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The timing is particularly significant, as a recent CNCF study revealed that 55% of developers secured new jobs through similar training and certification courses. However, 81% cited cost as a barrier to completing certifications – a challenge this free training program directly addresses.
Commenting on this development, Carrol Chang, Andela CEO, said:
“We are excited to partner with CNCF to extend training and, ultimately, enhance job opportunities for African workers. The continent is emerging as one of the most important markets in the world. It has the fastest-growing population of developers, and its young workforce will be key to solving the tech talent shortage. Organizations are looking for talent with advanced skill sets like AI and cloud native and this particular skill set is a perfect addition to the Andela marketplace.”