“We believe the talent ecosystem is the cornerstone of the economic recovery and a long-lasting digital future. However, the lack of digital skills is one of the biggest challenges facing many countries,” said Jay Chen, Huawei’s vice president APAC.

“Huawei expects to develop more than 100,000 ICT talents and provide support to build vibrant digital talent ecosystem”

“In the next five years Huawei expects to develop more than 100,000 ICT talents and provide support to build vibrant digital talent ecosystem in this dynamic region, especially in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.”

Huawei has been working to promote the cultivation of IT talent in South and South East Asia since 2008, and currently cooperates with more than 14 universities across the region, as well as governments, local industry and UNESCO.

It offers ICT-related courses, examinations, certifications and job-seeking services through its Talent Online platform, as well as running Huawei ICT Academies, which had partnerships with universities in 72 countries as of 2019.

Despite hesitation about the influence of Huawei and its links to the Chinese government in Europe and North America – particularly around the creation of 5G networks – ministers in the region said they were keen to work with the company as they attempt to further digitalise their countries.

“Huawei has been an important partner for us as their initiatives have been helpful to increase digitalisation within the nation and upskill the youth and prepare them for the future,” said Bangladesh state minister of ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, highlighting programs focused on training women and giving university students the chance to learn from industry experts.

“We appreciate the organisation’s support as we build a robust digital economy.”