Google has announced an additional 30,000 Android and Google Cloud training opportunities for aspiring and professional developers in Africa in partnership with Andela and Pluralsight.
The program, in its 5th year in a row, will give developers access to carefully curated training content and hands-on learning experiences. They will also access a pan-African network of peer learning groups and community mentors who will guide them on the learning journey.
According to the 2021 Africa Developer Report by Google and Accenture, opportunities for software developers in Africa are at an all time high, driven primarily by the booming startup ecosystem and the global demand for remote work. Local businesses are also contributing to this demand as they seek to hire more developers to help them build a better online presence.
The report also looked at ways that technology companies can accelerate access to these opportunities through education and training programs that improve on job readiness. At Google we have been supporting developers in Africa through community and training programs for over 10 years. Today, there are more than 180 active developer communities in 30 countries across Africa. These local developer communities provide developers with the opportunity to connect, learn and grow together. The research report showed that nearly 1 in every 2 developers in Africa has been through a Google developer training or community program.
The Google Africa Developer Scholarship 2022 (GADS) will support software developers across Africa under the Associate Android Developer role and the Associate Cloud Engineer role to help them build the skills they need to get a job in tech after the program is over. GADS will give participants free access to select courses, projects, embedded labs and skill assessments; plus support from the Google Developer community.
Previous participants have gone on to build impactful projects for their communities, make incredible steps in their career journeys, and even become Google-certified developers and engineers. Acceptance into this program is limited. In order to participate in the Google Africa Developer Scholarship program, you must be at least 18 years of age and be a resident of a country in Africa.
Google has also announced that its arm, Google for Startups is committing $4 million to 60 eligible black-founded startups in Africa for this year’s cohort for startups in Botswana, Cameroun, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Selected startups will receive between $50,000 and $100,000 non-dilutive cash awards and up to $200,000 per startup in Google Cloud credits, support in the form of training, and access to a network of mentors to assist in tackling the challenges unique to each startup. Applications will close on 31 May 2022 and the winners will be announced on 29 July 2022.