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Huawei to Train Additional 150,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2027

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ICT leader has already trained over 120,000 people in the region, exceeding its target well ahead of schedule

SHANGHAI, July 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On 28th June, Huawei announced a new plan to train an additional 150,000 talents in Sub-Saharan Africa over the next three years. The plan comes on top of the ICT leader’s initial goal to equip over 100,000 people in the region with digital skills by 2025. Huawei has already exceeded its initial goal by 120%, 10 months ahead of schedule, training over 120,000 individuals over the past 26 months. Both announcements were made at the LEAP Summit 2024: ICT Talent and Sustainable Development for Sub-Saharan Africa.

LEAP stands for leadership, employability, advancement and possibility. The event, co-hosted by Huawei and the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), is an official partner program of Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2024. Huawei and ATU gathered over 200 guests for the LEAP Summit 2024. Among them were high ranking ministers, ambassadors and other government officials from many African nations in the Sub-Saharan region.

There is a pressing need to equip talent in Sub-Saharan Africa with digital skills. According to the World Economic Forum, more than one billion people around the world need to be upskilled or reskilled by 2030. Furthermore, the International Financial Corporation estimates that over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030.

In this opening address, Jeff Wang, Senior Vice President, President of Public Affairs and Communications, Huawei, outlined the company’s approach to inclusive, systematic and future-oriented talent development. “Huawei launched the LEAP Digital Talent Development Program in Sub-Saharan Africa since 2022. After more than two years of development, we are glad to see that so many people have benefited from it.”

Of LEAP thus far, Hover Gao, President of Sub-Saharan Africa, Huawei, said: “We have made much positive progress in talent development across African countries, but this would not have been possible without the joint efforts of government agencies, academia, and industry.”

In his remarks, John OMO, Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) reiterated a human-first approach to technology. He said: “Digital skills development and access to ICT is not about ICT, it’s about people. It’s about empowering people to participate sufficiently in the digital economy.” Mr. OMO encouraged the audience to collectively participate in the effort to upskill to give the youth not just a future but also a present in which they can thrive.

Hon. Minister Counselor He Hongyan, Department of African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, emphasized the importance of China-African talent cooperation as outlined in the China-Africa Cooperation 2035. She said that LEAP “is helping Africa build a pool of digital talent, boost its digital economy, bridge the digital divide and boost and drive inclusive development.”

Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, joined the program remotely via video to highlight the importance of a multilateral approach to addressing the digital skills gap and upskilling of workers. He said: “We hope these efforts can help people everywhere better harness digital technologies, narrow the skill gap and create a sustained prosperity along with sustainable development, all of which are essential to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs).”

Hon. Dr. Tatenda Annastacia Mavetera, Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Zimbabwe, provided both the local perspective and the pan-African perspective on digital talent cultivation. She said: “Beyond the impressive ICT talent achievements on display, this summit is a testament to the power of collaboration. It is through partnerships between governments, industries, leaders, academia, and civil society that we are truly able to unlock the full potential of ICT for the benefit of humanity.”

The TECH4ALL Digital Inclusion Initiative is one of the key pillars of Huawei’s Corporate Sustainable Development strategies. During the summit, Joyce Liu, Director of TECH4ALL Digital Inclusion Office at Huawei, shared the progress of TECH4ALL in Sub-Saharan Africa. She said: “We must take a long-term perspective on how education can help shape a more inclusive and sustainable future, building connectivity for schools, improving capabilities for people and supporting STEM content development for digital upskilling and reskilling.”

Huawei and its partners launched a series of activities of digital talent development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Steven Fan, The Director of Huawei’s Training & Certification Dept, released a new Huawei Digital Intelligence Talent Development Program. This initiative includes free Huawei Certificate courses and exam vouchers for the Huawei ICT Academy and outstanding personnel.

Also announced, the Digital Badge program enables students and teachers who have attended Huawei ICT Academy programs to display these certifications on their social media platforms and use them to unlock future employment opportunities.

Huawei launched its Leadership, Employability, Advancement and Possibilities (LEAP) digital skills development program in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022. The program, aims to foster a strong digital leadership and skilled ICT workforce, build a digital talent pool and promote digital literacy among citizens, and includes a wide range of activities from ICT training and certification courses to government digital capacity building and ICT skills competitions.

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Threekit Launches AI Sales Agent for Manufacturers

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The Threekit Sales Agent helps sellers who are overwhelmed with the complexity of selling manufactured products. It gets sellers to a proposal in seconds rather than hours and works with existing CPQ, B2B commerce, and ERP systems.

CHICAGO, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Threekit today announced the Threekit Sales Agent, built on its new native AI platform. The Agent makes guided selling effortless by digesting a wide variety of customer requirements and recommending valid configured solutions instantly.

For 30 years, CPQ and ERP have been the backbone of how manufacturers quote, make and order products. But the modern seller expects something faster and more intuitive in the age of AI.

The Threekit Sales Agent is the first sales tool manufacturing sellers actually love.

Reps start with what they already have: notes, voice memos, photos, documents, RFPs, line drawings, competitive quotes. The Agent doesn’t wait for a complete spec. It reads the customer’s intent, works toward a valid quote, and takes the next step on its own – asking the rep what’s missing, flagging conflicts before they become errors, and proposing the next valid configuration the rep didn’t see.

When requirements change mid-deal, the Agent reasons through the impact and adjusts the proposal in place. No starting over. It catches a rule violation the rep would have shipped, spots an incompatible option and recommends the fix, and keeps the deal moving toward a quote it knows is valid. Threekit Sales Agent can be deployed across direct sales, channel sales, dealer networks, websites, and ecommerce.

“There’s a huge gap in the Guided Selling stage that sits in front of CPQ and B2B systems on the path to a quote,” said Matt Gorniak, CEO of Threekit. “There’s massive demand to use AI to make complex products easier to sell. We see it directly – revenue for our AI Sales Agent has grown more than 229% in the last year.”

Threekits AI platform built for enterprise trust, safety, reliability, and proof: more than 10M configuration-to-quote sessions monthly, a 99.8% SLA, ISO 27001 certification, and 150 enterprise customers. Threekit’s AI Sales agent has grown revenue 229% in the last year.

About Threekit

Threekit helps manufacturers make complex products easier to sell. Its AI Sales Agent reasons over product data, configuration logic, visual selling, governance, and enterprise integrations to drive a deal from customer request to valid, configured proposal on its own.

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CENTEGIX Launches The Safety Signal Podcast, Where Crisis Meets Connection

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New podcast hosted by CMO Robb Monkman and national school safety leader Ron Self debuts with Chief Development Officer Dr. Roderick Sams

ATLANTA, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CENTEGIX, the leader in incident response and everyday safety solutions protecting more than 18 million people across 50 states, today announced the launch of The Safety Signal, a new podcast dedicated to the people, innovations, and conversations redefining what it means to feel safe at work.

Safety is earned in the moments most people never see. The Safety Signal brings you the people who live those moments, trading worst-case theory for what actually works.

Hosted by CENTEGIX Chief Marketing Officer, Robb Monkman, alongside co-host, Ron Self, a nationally recognized school safety leader, each episode bridges the gap between crisis and connection, bringing together educators, healthcare leaders, safety experts, and innovators to explore safety not just as a crisis response, but as a driver of culture, retention, trust, and organizational improvement.

“We are not just talking about technology,” said Monkman. “We are talking about the teacher who can focus on her students. The nurse who can focus on her patients. The leader who can focus on their people. That is what safety looks like when it actually works.”

Debut Episode: Safety as a School Improvement Issue

The first episode of The Safety Signal is available now, featuring CENTEGIX Chief Development Officer Dr. Roderick Sams, known to colleagues and partners as Rocky. A former award-winning principal, teacher, and coach, Dr. Sams brings a career built in classrooms and school buildings to a conversation about why safety sits at the center of every school improvement challenge facing leaders today.

Topics covered in the debut episode include the real cost of teacher turnover, the downstream impact of unsafe environments on enrollment and community trust, and what school leaders wish they had known sooner.

“Success is determined by where you end, not where you start,” said Dr. Sams. “Safe schools give every student and every educator a fighting chance at that.”

Where to Listen

The Safety Signal is available now at:

Website: https://www.centegix.com/resources/the-safety-signal-podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJZvrdMqaTg
Spotify: Available now
Apple Podcasts: Available now
Amazon Music: Available now

Available wherever you get your podcasts.

About CENTEGIX

CENTEGIX is the leader in rapid incident response and everyday safety solutions, protecting more than 18 million people across 18,000+ locations in 50 states. The CENTEGIX Safety Platform, including CrisisAlert wearable panic buttons, Safety Blueprint critical incident mapping, Visitor Management, and Reunification, gives organizations the tools to plan for and respond to any emergency, from the everyday to the extreme. CENTEGIX serves K-12 and higher education, healthcare, government, commercial, and public safety organizations nationwide. CENTEGIX is backed by Charlesbank Capital Partners and Gauge Capital.

For more information visit www.centegix.com

CONTACT: marketing@centegix.com

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ICON International Launches Content and Entertainment Solution, Establishing New Pathways for Brand-Funded Film and Television

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Industry Veteran Aaron Tabas to Lead Offering with First Wave of Partnerships Including Imagine Entertainment, Pro Shop and more

STAMFORD, Conn., June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ICON International, the media-backed financial solutions company, today announced the official launch of its Content and Entertainment solution, a new practice dedicated to solving the industry’s most persistent challenges in content funding, production, and distribution. ICON will debut the offering this month at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (June 22–26), where its executives will meet with brands, agencies, and producers to discuss how the new practice is rewriting the economics of brand-funded entertainment.

The new offering, led by industry veteran Aaron Tabas, has already established strategic partnerships with leading talent agencies, creators, and distributors. Leveraging ICON’s core strength as a media and financial solutions partner, the new offering gives brands, creators, and distributors access to innovative, flexible financing structures that make content initiatives more streamlined, cost-effective, and impactful.

“ICON has always sat at the intersection of media, content, and advertising,” said Reid Steinberg, EVP, Media Director at ICON International. “This new offering formalizes what we have long done best—connecting brands with culture through financial expertise and strategic partnerships.”

Three Core Solutions for Content Financing and Distribution
ICON’s Content and Entertainment solution offers partners three proprietary funding models:

Working Media Solution: ICON unlocks funding for a brand’s content initiatives by creating added value around its existing media investments.Media Trade Solution: ICON funds content projects on behalf of brands and distributors in exchange for future advertising inventory.Independent Financing: ICON serves as a traditional film and television financier, bringing its brand and distributor relationships and marketing expertise to the table alongside capital.

“Working with ICON has changed how we think about brand partnerships,” said Marc Gilbar, President of Brands, Partnerships & IP at Imagine Entertainment. “They came to the table not just with financing, but with a deep understanding of what it takes to make engaging content. ICON has given filmmakers and brands a new roadmap to making their most ambitious projects possible.”

Projects at Launch
From documentary film to scripted prestige television to indie features and viral social content, ICON has already assembled a diverse portfolio of projects that demonstrates the full range of what its funding and distribution models can offer clients. Across each, the throughline is bringing together best-in-class creative partners and giving them the resources to tell stories at the highest level.

Amelia, Feature Documentary in Partnership with CNN Films, Imagine Documentaries, Storyville Films and produced in association with ICON and Sandbox Films: ICON is a core funding partner on Amelia, a feature documentary billed as the definitive portrait of Amelia Earhart. Produced by CNN Films, Imagine Documentaries and Storyville Films, directed by Academy Award Nominated and Emmy-Winning Julie Cohen and Betsy West and set to air on CNN, the project represents the kind of premium, culturally significant content ICON was built to support. The partnership was brokered by CAA Media and Entertainment Partnerships and signals the caliber of relationships the solution brings to the table.The Artist, Limited Series in Partnership with The Network: ICON’s reach extends to scripted prestige television with The Artist, the Gilded Age murder mystery limited series from creator Aram Rappaport featuring an ensemble cast that includes Mandy Patinkin, Janet McTeer, Patti LuPone, Hank Azaria, and Zachary Quinto. ICON funded the program for The Network, the free, ad-supported streaming platform demonstrating the model’s ability to support not only individual titles but the platforms that distribute them. The Artist premiered on The Network over the 2025 holiday season and is streaming now at thenetwork.stream.Social Content Series, in Partnership with Dude Wipes and Pro Shop: ICON executed a social content series for DUDE Wipes in partnership with Pro Shop, a leading golf media company. The series, executed by Skratch Golf with its unique media rights, featured the PGA TOUR’s best players navigating pressure-packed on-course situations during one of the year’s most attended events, the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The program generated more than 3 million views across Skratch Golf’s media channels and exceeded engagement benchmarks.dAte, an Independent Feature Film: ICON is also putting its Independent Financing model to work on dAte, an indie horror film currently in production with Squid Farm Productions. The project showcases ICON’s role as a traditional film financier pairing capital with the brand relationships and marketing expertise that independent filmmakers rarely find in a funding partner.

“What we’ve built is a fundamentally different way for brands and creators to work together,” said Aaron Tabas, who leads ICON’s Content and Entertainment solution. “The projects we’re bringing to Cannes reflect what’s possible when you remove the financial friction from the creative process. We’ve partnered with some of the best producers, agencies, and distributors in the business, and we’re just getting started.”

ICON at Cannes Lions
ICON’s Content and Entertainment team, led by Tabas, will be on the ground at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, June 22–26, meeting with brands, agencies, producers, and distributors to discuss partnership and financing opportunities.

About ICON International
ICON International is a media-backed financial solutions partner that transforms underutilized resources into measurable growth. With the trust of over 350 organizations, ICON combines strategic know-how, creativity, financial expertise, and unmatched media partnerships to create enterprise value for its clients. For more information, visit www.iconinternational.com.

Media Contact: iconinternational@jainepr.com

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