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Lockdown: Why we are training African Talents for the future of work
Nicolas Goldstein is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of Talenteum.Africa. A seasoned business man with extensive experience in technology, outsourcing, and marketing services. Nicolas’s exceptional knowledge of strategic marketing including product positioning, brand plan development, growth hacking and launch excellence within B2B sectors positioned him as a leader in the space. In this interview with Alaba Ayinuola of Business Africa Online, he shares how Talenteum is training African talents for the future of work and why Remote working is here for good. Excerpts.
Alaba: How do you see Remote Working in Africa during this global crisis ?
Nicolas: Unfortunately, it takes a pandemic for remote work to become a trend. Corporations all over the world are setting up the logistics for their teams to work remotely. In a global economy under the siege of the Coronarivus (COVID-19) – with more than 200,000 cases worldwide – those who still have doubts about the potential of remote work should reconsider now.
Working remotely is proving increasingly useful today and is steadily earning its place in the Future of Work. We at Talenteum have been working remotely since inception and all companies needs to know how to work with Distributed team.
Alaba: Do you think Remote Work is here to stay?
Nicolas: It is our belief at TALENTEUM, even before the Covid19 crisis erupted that remote working is a device with multiple virtues:
– Economic: telework allows you to extend the spectrum of the job market beyond your regions, and even beyond the borders where your companies are established;
– Social Impact: telework allows talents from foreign countries to access a job, even though their countries of origin do not offer them in their specialties; allowing remote work means allowing people to no longer have to immigrate elsewhere in order to be able to work and live decently. It is also participating in the reestablishment of parity between men and women by allowing women who could not get away from their homes to have a job, done from home;
– Environmental: when we know that transport is responsible for 10% of the global emission of greenhouse gases, we understand that by reducing travel, teleworking has a certain positive environmental impact on the planet;
– Sanitary: the Covid19 crisis has demonstrated this, remote working contributes to limiting the spad of epidemics.
Alaba: What about training Africa to the Future of work ? this is one of your goal.
Nicolas: In this digital era, economies evolve more rapidly and in response, companies and their staff need to adjust quicker. We have observed that regular upskilling is now a must. We have understood that it’s a reality for Africans as well; particularly those who want to work for employers based outside Africa remotely. Despite coming from developing countries – with a more limited range of local training opportunities – than in Europe or North America, African talents have to be proactive in finding ways to increase their competencies.
They need to stand out amongst international competition in order to be hired or get better jobs and earn higher wages. The candidates having skills sets that closely match employers’ needs will be more successful than others. That means keeping an up-to-date knowledge in one’s field, improving or adding to one’s abilities or acquiring the adequate skills in response to a shortage in a particular niche.
Thus, it is a competitive advantage to make upskilling efforts. One becomes more employable. Amongst our talents at Talenteum, we have some very ambitious young Africans who, in addition to their qualifications and professional experience, have taken online courses for specific skills and secured better work as a result.
Alaba: Which sectors will experience more upcoming Skills Shortage and how prepared are African talents?
Nicolas: According to Linkedin Talent Blog, “within the next 12 years, demand for highly skilled workers is going to skyrocket especially across knowledge-intensive industries”. This source indicates that globally, there will be a shortage of 10.7 million workers in the sectors of financial and business services and 4.3 million in the technology, media and telecommunications industries respectively.
African talents need to get ready to be part of the answer to the major talent shortages in the world by 2030. The implementation of “an ecosystem for quality jobs” and “future skills to match” is crucial for “fully leveraging the continent’s demographic dividend”, as “15 to 20 million increasingly well-educated young people are expected to join the African workforce every year for the next three decades” (World Economic Forum in 2017 report “The Future of Jobs and Skills in Africa”).
Nevertheless, “skills mismatch” is one of the factors impeding young Africans in responding to the current and future industry needs (African Development Bank). The unequal access to tertiary education , particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) may be one of the causes. The World Bank in a 2017 study “Sharing Higher Education’s Promise beyond the Few in Sub-Saharan Africa”, asserts that “increasing demand and limited supply of tertiary education … has led to tertiary education being available only to a subset of the youth population”.
According to the World Bank, “[t]o date, tertiary education in SSA region has remained elitist, benefiting students mostly from the most affluent, well-connected families. Coupled with the “brain drain” phenomena that talented tertiary graduates leave SSA regions after they finish education, tertiary education in the region is not equitably producing the human capital that the countries direly need”.
Visit: Talenteum.Africa
Press Release
TelCables’ Partner Program is shaping the future of digital connectivity in West Africa
TelCables West Africa, part of the Angola Cables global network, shared details of its innovative Partner Program at a recent event held at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. This initiative is designed to empower companies in West Africa to shape the future of digital connectivity, tap into the rapidly growing enterprise market, and expand their businesses internationally.
The TelCables Partner Program enables telecommunication companies, operators, ICT integrators, as well as internet service providers to extend their influence in shaping West Africa digital ecosystem.
Multinational telecommunications company Angola Cables operates in the wholesale market, providing connectivity, IT solutions and services, as well as international data circuit capacity and IP transit via owned, high-capacity submarine cables, including SACS, Monet, and WACS.
“Leveraging the Angola Cables Partner Program provides a unique opportunity for us to help connect our partners’ businesses from West Africa to the world,” said TelCables Nigeria CEO, Fernando Fernandes.
“As the most connected network operator in Africa, our secure, low-latency direct routings Data Center to Data Center from West Africa to the USA and South America, and from West Africa to London provide an immense advantage to our partners. Moreover, our presence across a number of Nigerian IP hubs such as Lekki, WACS CLS, Medallion DC, Rack Centre and others, and connections across Africa via the Djoliba network, means our partners have access to some of the most advanced digital infrastructure on the continent and our featured products to address secure connectivity and Clouds2Africa the most interconnected Cloud IAAS in Africa benefiting to our Global Network in more than 400 Cloud and Anti-DDoS secured nodes,” he added.
The Partner Program provides a comprehensive suite of management resourceful tools to support partners in their sales efforts. This includes portal, sales and marketing tools that enable partners to define product, commercial, and marketing strategies, as well as receive technical formation and go-to-market initiatives to streamline and accelerate their market offerings. The personalized program also adapts to the needs of each partner’s experience and market demand, ensuring mutual success. Additionally, tailored training and support are provided to each partner to help them achieve their goals.
Based in Nigeria, and with a global footprint in 20 countries on five continents, TelCables offers a wide range of internet exchange points, points-of-presence, peering, and related services. Current participants in the Partner Program include Microsoft, NEC, Juniper Networks, Ciena and Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., all benefiting from Angola Cables’ extensive, low-latency direct access connectivity, connecting to the largest Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), Tier 1 operators, and global content providers in Africa and around the world
As part of the Angola Cables family, TelCables West Africa’s Partner Program is a testament to the company’s dedication to empowering businesses in West Africa to reach new heights in the digital age. Companies interested in joining the Partner Program and becoming part of a network that is shaping the future of digital connectivity in West Africa, can do so here
Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award (Image: Supplied).
Since its inception in 1972, the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award has established the platform as the ultimate accolade highlighting female founders and CEO’s globally. Esteemed for honouring female pioneers who embody the spirit of Madame Clicquot, this award has two categories, the Bold Woman Award and the Bold Future Award, which highlight and give visibility to innovative women around the world. This is the first and longest-running international award of its kind and South African female business leaders and entrepreneurs looking to elevate their businesses and join a community of like-minded trailblazers are invited to enter from 18 March 2024.
Over 52 years, the award has celebrated women who exemplify the same tenacious, enterprising spirit of the Grande Dame of Champagne, Madame Clicquot. Widowed at the age of 27 in 1805, she defied norms and transformed an entire industry – an extraordinary feat during an era when women faced significant limitations, unable even to establish personal bank accounts, let alone independently own or manage businesses. The Bold Woman Award is a powerful tribute to women who share her fearlessness and determination. Open to women in 27 countries, the award has honoured over 450 businesswomen to date. Not only does it applaud their leadership, but also provides laureates with prominence, a powerful platform and access to an inspiring global community.
The award’s impact is invaluable, and these Bold women in turn inspire and motivate future generations of female leaders. The South African edition of the 2023 Bold by Veuve Clicquot Barometer reveals that 72% of aspiring women entrepreneurs are inspired by, and can name, a local female role model. This finding underscores the vital role of the Bold by Veuve Clicquot programme, which sets out to fortify a sustainable future for businesswomen globally through impactful initiatives that inspire mentorship and collaboration. The data for the 2023 Bold by Veuve Clicquot Barometer was collated from over 49,000 women and men surveyed in 25 countries, contributing to a powerful overview of female entrepreneurship globally.
One initiative that sets out to amplify the Bold Programme and fosters global female networking is Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Open Database, a collaborative database catalysing social and economic development. South African women seeking to connect with fellow female entrepreneurs across the globe are invited to register Here.
The women who step into the Bold Woman Award spotlight pay tribute to the legacy of Madame Clicquot and play a vital role in inspiring future generations of female entrepreneurs. South African women who are ready to be recognized for their business achievements are called to enter the 2024 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award.
HOW TO ENTER
To enter the Bold Woman Award, candidates must be founders or CEOs of a company for more than three years, have demonstrated transformation and evolution in their field, and supported growth for at least two years while maintaining an ethical approach to business.
To qualify for the Bold Future Award, candidates must be the founders or CEOs of a company that has been in existence for less than three years. In that time, the candidate must have made a significant contribution to the success of their company by instilling a sense of entrepreneurship and have made a tangible contribution to transformation in an existing market, while bringing ethical change to the company.
Three finalists in each category will be selected by an esteemed jury and will be invited to attend the Bold Woman Award ceremony on 17 July where one laureate in each of the categories will be lauded by a grand jury. The Bold Woman Award winner will travel to Reims, France, for an immersion in the history, tradition, and luxury of Maison Veuve Clicquot.
Entries open on 18 March and close on 30 April 2024. Business leaders and role models who are ready to be recognised for their remarkable success are invited to enter the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award by completing a simple form Here.
Applicants must be an official resident of South Africa and the business must be based in or operating in South Africa. The finalists will be selected by an independent panel of judges.
Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB) Chief Executive Officer, Thierno Habib Hann, has presented his credentials to Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya and Foreign & Diaspora Affairs Minister of Kenya, H.E Dr. Musalia Mudavadi.
In a formal ceremony held at the Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya’s office in Nairobi, Mr. Hann conveyed Shelter Afrique Development Bank ‘s commitment to enhancing its collaboration with the Government of Kenya in addressing the pressing challenges of affordable housing and urban development in the country and across Africa.
Mr. Hann highlighted the organization’s commitment to sustaining its impactful efforts in Kenya, particularly in advancing affordable housing programs. Mr. Hann reiterated Shelter Afrique Development Bank ‘s dedication to supporting Kenya’s housing agenda with a particular focus on housing programs that seek to address key thematic areas of climate financing, gender, migrants, refugees, and the diaspora.
“We enjoy a great relationship with the Government of Kenya, being Kenya Shelter Afrique Development Bank ‘s largest shareholder and we are looking forward to scaling up projects that are in line with the visionary economic development agenda – Kenya Vision 2030. We extend our gratitude to the Government of Kenya for their enduring confidence in our institution and for hosting ShafDB’s Headquarters for the last 42 years,” stated Mr. Hann.
He further conveyed Shelter Afrique Development Bank ‘s readiness to collaborate closely with Kenyan authorities in implementing innovative solutions aimed at expediting the provision of quality, affordable housing, and associated infrastructure and urban development across the nation.
Welcoming Mr. Hann and accepting his appointment, Prime Cabinet Secretary Honorable Musalia Mudavadi, commended Shelter Afrique Development Bank for its ongoing transformation and continued commitment to Kenya and further Africa’s development priorities, highlighting the organization’s valuable contributions to the region’s housing sector over the years.
