Rwanda Development Board (RDB) the country’s main development institution has partnered with Tek Experts, a global provider of technical IT support services to establish a technology support centre in Rwanda, RDB announced on Thursday.
The partnership is expected to support Rwanda’s efforts to develop talents in ICT sector as the company will recruit and upskills local professionals. According to RDB, Tec Experts plans to employ 1,000 technical support engineers at its new hub in the capital Kigali. From the location, the outsourcing firm’s engineers will provide technical support services to its international customers of some of the world’s largest tech brands.
According to RDB, Rwanda will support the outsourcing firm to widen access to local technical jobs for existing talents that requires additional skills gap training to meet world-class standards. Officials hope the latest partnership will also boost country’s IT ecosystem by adding a new segment to its IT offerings. “This new segment will also focus on as much as deep technical skills as it will on customers’ service experience,” said the East African country’s development board.
The Chief Executive Officer of RDB, Ms. Claire Akamanzi noted that the global outsourcing services and ICT-enabled services is key to Rwanda’s economic Transformation. “While [ it] is still a nascent sector in Rwanda, it holds significant potential for the creation of decent jobs and service export revenue. It is a constantly evolving, multi-billion-dollar industry. Developing the sector to its full potential in Rwanda is a key priority to RDB and receives the necessary government support and attention to increase competitiveness, remove barriers and bring in frontier investors, such as Tek Experts.”
On the other hand, Tek Experts’ CEO, Steve Heffron said the announced partnership with Rwandan government supports the company’s objective and commitment to making the difference in the lives of its employees and the community where it operates.
“Tek Experts is committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of our employees and the communities where we operate. This agreement with the Rwanda Development Board directly supports that objective. We will continue to invest in Rwanda because of the incredible pool of diverse technical talent and infrastructure which allows us to support the largest tech brands in the world. With the addition of our new office in Kigali, we intend to create up to 1,000 new technology jobs. We will also conduct a mass digital upskilling initiative, in partnership with our sister training company Elev8, to have an even greater impact.””
The latest partnership with a global firm is a good news for Rwanda as the country deals with the impact of Covid-19 on its economy that resulted in job losses for many.