Ingryd Academy to tackle tech talent shortage by training 1,000 aspiring techies through its scholarship program

Leading tech talent training and outsourcing organization, Ingryd Academy has unveiled its inaugural cohort of 1,000 participants. The participants are all beneficiaries of its groundbreaking Scholarship Program.

The talent company told Technext that its scholarship program aims to tackle the tech talent shortage in Africa, with a bold goal of training 4,000 tech professionals annually. Participants receive training in strategic and in-demand niche technical skills like Java, Linux, Cybersecurity, and Data Science.

Speaking on its induction ceremony which took place recently, the academy says the event marks the beginning of a journey that would transform the lives of the participants and convert them to bonafide tech talents capable of filling the talent gap on the continent.

“The induction ceremony marked the beginning of a transformative journey for the selected candidates. Over the next three months, these individuals will undergo rigorous training and mentorship, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in the ever-evolving tech industry,” it said.

This development is coming barely a month after the academy’s strategic partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) was made public.

Africa’s tech talent shortage

While Africa continues to improve its tech capacity, with many of its youths hoping to get into the burgeoning tech space, the reality remains that the continent grapples with a severe shortage of talents to fill up the new tech roles opening up by the day. There are about 700,000 developers in Africa according to reports, a number which is expected to double in two years. However, these would not be nearly enough to fill up tech roles that would be demanded of it.

According to a report by the African Development Bank, an estimated 4 million new technology jobs are expected to be created in Africa by 2025. However, the continent is projected to have enough skilled professionals to fill only 50% of these roles. This clearly shows how Africa faces a significant shortage of tech talents.

So severe is the continent’s tech talent shortage that in Nigeria, organisations are beginning to combine more than one tech roles while talents are beginning to take up extra roles just to adequately deal with the shortage.

A major reason for this shortage is the all-too-popular talent flight and brain drain occasioned by the ‘japa’ syndrome. Indeed a country like the UK has a special category of visas called the Tech Talent Visa. Beneficiaries are mostly Africans and Nigerians in particular.

See also: 5 simple HR policies that will help you attract and keep tech talents in 2023

The ‘Africa’s Tech Skills Scarcity Revealed’ report released by SAP Africa shows that about 80 per cent of Nigerian companies expect to experience a technology skills gap this year as more employees are seeking greener pastures in developed nations.

Another major reason is the unavailability of quality and readily available tech talent development training and education. This means that the continent is not able to replace its migrating tech talents as quickly as possible. There is therefore the need for more training programs, especially those that do not put too much financial burden on the prospective trainees. This is what Ingryd Academy aims to overcome with its scholarship program.

The Ingryd Academy says the Scholarship Program aligns with its mission to empower individuals with vital technical skills. According to the Managing Director of the academy, Khadijat Abdulkadir, jobs are available but the problem is that there aren’t enough talents to fill these roles.

“Contrary to popular belief, there are jobs available, but the problem is that there are not enough people qualified for those jobs. Ingryd is training people to perform in those jobs,” she said.

The scholarship is in partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). The program offers full scholarships to passionate tech enthusiasts in Lagos, Nigeria. The candidates are expected to take a suitability test and selection into the cohort is based on their test scores as well as their passion for technology. Successful candidates will receive hands-on learning, career coaching, and job placement support. Training for the inaugural cohort starts virtually and at Ingryd Academy’s Lagos hubs.