Burkina Faso / Cameroon / Cote d’Ivoire / Egypt / Ethiopia / Guinea / Jordan / Liberia / Madagascar / Mali / Morocco / Senegal / Sierra Leone / Tunisia Orange bridges the digital skills gap through vocational training in Africa and the Middle East

Orange is a leading telecommunications company and one of the key network providers in Africa and the Middle East. Through its subsidiary Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA), Orange aims to further expand its presence in the digital economy across the region and make its innovative solutions accessible to all.  

At the same time, youth unemployment remains a major challenge in these regions: according to the International Labour Organization, in sub-Saharan Africa, it reached almost 22 per cent in 2023, and in the Middle East and North Africa, it exceeded 24 per cent in 2023, well above the global average.

Yet, it is not only young people without qualifications who struggle to find employment. Many graduates and trained professionals also face difficulties because their skills do not always match the requirements of employers.  

There is a particular shortage of digital expertise aligned with the needs of the labour market in areas such as software development and emerging technologies. Educational opportunities in these fields remain limited, reducing the competitiveness of companies and preventing economies from harnessing the potential of their young populations.  

To foster employability, strengthen competitiveness and help reduce youth unemployment, Orange and GIZ implemented the following activities across 14 countries in Africa and the Middle East between 2020 and 2023 with a budget of around 45 million euros:

• Establishment of Orange Digital Centers (ODC) providing participants from diverse skill backgrounds with free access to training in digital technologies, soft skills and career development opportunities, e.g. through:
   
  • Coding Schools: Practical and project-based learning programme about software development, web and mobile programming.
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  • FabLab Solidaire: Creative spaces where participants design and prototype their solutions using technologies such as 3D printers, CNC machines, and laser cutters.
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  • Orange Fab: A start-up accelerator that supports tech entrepreneurs through mentoring, market access, and business development opportunities on the national and international level.
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• Establishment of ODC in remote areas, at partner universities or in youth centres, offering training sessions and events that introduce participants to digital technologies, software development projects, and soft skills.
• Organizing job fairs and other events that support graduates and start-up founders in accessing employment and business opportunities by connecting them with key players in the digital ecosystem.
• Networking and cooperation: The ODC network brings together companies, universities, and young talents to foster innovation and cooperation across the region.  

GIZ contributes to these measures through coordination with public partners, support in identifying partner universities for the establishment of ODC in remote areas, and in mobilizing participants. The initiative is also supported by the BMZ's Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition".

Thanks to the establishment of the Orange Digital Centers, thousands of young people across Africa and the Middle East have been trained in digital and entrepreneurial skills, improving their employability and prospects for the future. With the knowledge they acquire, many graduates have strengthened their professional profiles, enabling them to access new opportunities in the job market; whether by joining companies or launching their own start-ups and businesses.

Meanwhile, Orange can access a wide pool of well-trained ODC graduates as new employees to further boost its competitiveness in Africa and the Middle East.

• 14 Orange Digital Centers have been established in capital cities, alongside Orange Digital Centers in remote areas across Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Senegal, Cameroon, Liberia, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia.
• Around 64,000 people were trained through the Orange Digital Centers, over 41,000 of whom were under the age of 25 and over 26,000 females.