Google announces 30,000 scholarship opportunities for Africans

Multinational technology company Google this week opened applications for the 2019 Google Africa Certifications Scholarships.

According to William Florance, the global head of developer training programmes at the company, the tech giant will offer 30,000 scholarship opportunities and 1000 grants for the Google Associate Android, Mobile Web and Associate Cloud Engineer certifications.

Google further noted that the programme is aimed at providing digital skills training, education and support to African start-ups and developers.

"Africa is on track to have the largest working-age population of 1.1 billion by 2034.The scholarships are about preparing the youth for the jobs of tomorrow by equipping them with the right developer skills.

“Google's certifications are developed around a job-task analysis that tests learners for skills employers expect developers to have in these domains, and we have already seen evidence that becoming certified can make a meaningful difference to developers and employers,” said Florance.

The training will be delivered by online education company Pluralsight and software start-up Andela.

Applicants must be residents of any country in Africa and at least 18 years of age when they submit applications. Training takes place 100% online.

The course will provide students with:

* Guided skill development with curated paths and channels according to the chosen track.

* Access to expert-led videos, available on-demand with Google's mobile app and offline capabilities.

* Skill assessments that help students identify knowledge gaps and strengths, and allow them to share their proficiency on Facebook, Twitter and Stack Overflow.

* Support from the Pluralsight Help Centre and the Andela Learning Community to help students complete their track and prepare for their chosen Google certification exam.