MTN adds AI-powered job board to Skills Academy across 11 African markets

MTN has announced the launch of an AI-powered Job Board as part of its MTN Skills Academy, which provides young people in 11 African markets with access to job opportunities, career advice, and free skills development courses.

The new job board aims to bridge the gap between digital skills training and jobs by connecting students with vacancies, analyzing the skills they need, and suggesting relevant courses that will make them suitable candidates for specific roles.

Unlike traditional job boards, MTN’s new platform allows job seekers to not only search and filter job opportunities but also track their applications. Vacancies can be saved and viewed as they progress through stages such as interviews and offers. MTN Group Executive for Sustainability and Shared Value Marina Madale said the job board would contribute to addressing the continent’s youth unemployment challenges by providing a direct link between skills development and economic opportunity.

The new tool is available in the 11 African markets where MTN Skills Academy is present and offers job opportunities from across the continent. MTN’s Skills Academy is part of the company’s digital inclusion strategy, which targets connecting young people to economic opportunities beyond offering access to technology and training.

MTN Skills Academy: Employment Orientation Drives Expansion

MTN Skills Academy was launched in 2022 and offers courses in digital literacy, coding, data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship. To date, the platform has registered close to 526,000 students and 192,000 course completions, with more than 1,100 specialisations across its 11 markets.

Using the new job board, MTN Skills Academy students can utilise their credentials and skills profile to identify job opportunities that match their qualifications. The tool can also recommend free courses on the MTN Skills Academy to help them fill skill gaps if they do not meet the requirements for a specific vacancy.

MTN has also invested in making its Skills Academy more accessible to people with various physical and mental impairments, including those with lower levels of literacy and numeracy, as well as older users. Students who complete courses on the MTN Skills Academy can also share their achievements with potential employers by claiming their digital certificates, which are available on the platform.

The new AI-powered job board marks a shift in MTN’s approach to Skills Academy as the company transitions from a digital skills development platform to an employment agency. For the African youth market, where more than 60% of the population are under the age of 25, MTN’s new tool is a reminder that the connection between digital skills training and employment is critical. This is especially the case as the International Finance Corporation predicts that more than 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa require digital skills by 2030.