Nurturing regional ICT talent – what really matters is the people driving change

By Shunli Wang, Vice President of Huawei Middle East

Most nations across the region have launched blueprints for the future – detailed documents laying out how the Middle East will create digital economies, embrace ICT and grasp all the advantages of the fourth industrial revolution. From 5G and AI to big data, e-commerce to VR, the future looks bright, and we are living in an era of rapid technological changes and advancement. 

Like all industrial revolutions and times of great change, what really matters is the people driving change. We need people who not only deeply comprehend the technology, but how to apply it and take full advantage of it to achieve their countries and societies’ ambitions. 

With educated and highly connected populations, the Middle East region is perfectly poised to create a strong competitive advantage in terms of the global rush to technological supremacy. Many countries in the Middle East region have adapted special programs and initiatives at a national level to motivate innovation, nurture talent, and drive socio-economic growth through ICT. Ambitious national visions have laid out plans to create a competitive knowledge economy and establish an open, efficient, effective, and globally integrated business sector. The ‘knowledge’ economy – based on advanced technology – will be the new backbone of regional economic growth. 

These local plans are bolstered by the necessary adherence to global concepts such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which include equal access to technical, vocational, and university education.

While government and academia concern themselves with providing solid ICT education, there is still a widening skill gap that needs to be addressed. Technology is changing at a more rapid rate than skills training. Existing qualified staff are being lured into new roles, while new staff are still working towards achieving experience, industry qualifications, and expertise. As such, organizations need to ensure they have the right tools, environment, and culture to attract and retain talent. They must also understand how to manage their talent effectively and efficiently.

According to McKinsey & Company research, 87% of global companies say they either already have a skills gap or will have one within a few years.  A Salesforce survey saw more than half (56%) of hiring managers questioned believing that technology like AI and other forms of workplace automation will cause a major shift in the kinds of skills they will need employees to possess. 

In a bid to better understand the dynamics involved in talent development and retention, Huawei undertook a joint research report with the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE). The research reveals the importance of developing ICT talent and creating relevant ecosystems to enhance ICT skills in the Middle East and expand access to career opportunities in the digital world.

The report demonstrates a direct link between ICT talent development and digital transformation. 

Huawei remains committed to providing the latest technologies and expertise to advance digitization across the region while working with partners to ensure the right talent is available to help drive digitization. The report also highlights ICT as a powerful tool in facilitating social impact. In collaboration with partners and customers, Huawei continues to play a key role in enhancing regional ICT skills and preparing youth for the future of work.

As a global technology leader, it is Huawei’s mandate to help train the next generation of technology talent to the benefit of the wider society. We work with education providers regionally and globally, launching and funding several talent development programs and competitions, including ICT, Developer, Cloud Academies, and Women in Science and Technology programs in more than 150 countries. So far, we have established around 154 Huawei ICT academies in the Middle East region alone, delivering training to more than 100,000 people. 

In partnership with academia, government, and international agencies like the UN, we will continue to contribute to digital talent cultivation in the Middle East. We provide funding, real-world experience, and state-of-the-art technology, helping bridge the gap between theoretical IT training and its real-world implications. Universities need to foster multiple partnerships with the corporate world; not only to assist in learning but to help students understand how their studies make an impact on society. 

Since 2008, Huawei has launched and sponsored multiple talent development programs and competitions at the global, regional, and country levels, including scholarship programs, Seeds for the Future, Huawei ICT Academy, Huawei Developers Training, Huawei Cloud Developer Institute, Women in Tech, and Technology for Education such as DigiSchool, DigiTruck, and SmartBus. We have already invested more than US$150 million into these programs as part of our commitment to local ICT talent development, and 1.54 million people from over 150 countries have benefited from them.

Huawei strives to apply connectivity, cloud, and other ICT technologies to education to help universities and vocational schools cultivate innovative talent, accelerate innovation in teaching and scientific research and bridge the digital divide. We also actively work to drive equity in basic education.

Huawei is committed to sharing the experience, technologies, and talent cultivation standards it has gained over years of operations in the ICT industry with stakeholders. We work with educational authorities, educational institutions such as universities, partners, and various other actors to build an education talent ecosystem, public talent ecosystem, and industry talent ecosystem. This can be achieved by establishing talent alliances, integrating talent standards, improving talent capabilities, and communicating the value of talent. We aim to improve digital skills throughout society, drive technological advances and industry prosperity, and promote sustainable social and economic development. We continue to work openly and grow together with our partners to expand ecosystems.

While we must take full advantage of the existing excellent foundations, we could still fall behind if we don’t forge strong partnerships to encourage youth to pursue the exciting, rewarding career opportunities in the ICT sector.