The pan-African network of private higher education institutions said the move will bolster students’ key competitive 21st century skills and ensure “future-ready” employability at tech and digital companies or other entrepreneurial pursuits.

“We live in a transformative time where coding is increasingly one of the most in-demand skills”

“The rapidly changing world of work has accelerated the demand for innovative learning methods that emphasise the employability of 21st century learners with digital skills as a core,” Laura Kakon, chief growth & strategy officer at Honoris United Universities, said in a statement.

“It is vital that the education sector respond to global needs with customised approaches to maximise the ROI for students.

“The shared values between Honoris and Le Wagon, including student success and future-proof employability, make this partnership an important step to bridging Africa’s digital skills gap.”

“We live in a transformative time where coding is increasingly one of the most in-demand skills across a variety of industries, not only digital,” CEO of Le Wagon Boris Paillard explained.

“Honoris understands this importance and therefore is our ideal partner to enter the African continent, not only to boost technical skills, to build digital products, automate processes and analyse data, but to invest in the futures of competitive African human talent.”

Le Wagon will establish a presence in Honoris communities in Mauritius and Morocco, before developing institutions in 15 key tech hubs across Africa over the next five years.

“We look forward to our expansion across Africa,” Kakon added.

The short-term and intensive bootcamps are available in full-time (nine weeks) or part-time (24 weeks) formats, and promise to “equip students with the requisite skills and internationally recognised certification to future-fit professions across the globe”.

Programs focus on practical skills required to secure employment in the IT sector and Le Wagon’s latest student outcomes data boasts that 94% of students received a job offer, started a freelance career, or created their own startup within six months of completing a program.

The Honoris United Universities network consists of 14 institutions in 10 countries and 32 cities and includes more than 57,000 students.

Centres include Regent Business School’s iLeadLabs (South Africa), MANCOSA School of Education’s iTeachLab (South Africa), the Honoris Medical Simulation Centre (Tunisia), the EMSI SmartiLab (Morocco) and Nizamiye Hospital for Nile University of Nigeria.