Huawei has announced a new effort to overcome the skills gap in Botswana's ICT industry through the company's ICT Academy.

The Huawei academy, a collaboration with universities and colleges as well as ICT associations, aims to promote telecom technology awareness among young while also cultivating ICT talent and boosting access to education.

The school, according to David Zhang, managing director of Huawei Technologies Botswana, intends to provide ICT technology training and cultivate talent with practical skills for the ICT industry and the community.

"We believe it is critical that global leaders like ourselves collaborate with universities on skills transfer."

"In this way, we hope to enable universities in Botswana to provide the skilled workforce that the industry requires, and to drive the continued transformation of the entire society," Zhang said at the 3rd Seeds for the Future, Huawei's global flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programme that aims to develop local ICT talent.

So far, four universities have registered under Huawei Botswana's ICT Academy programme: the University of Botswana, Botho University, Botswana Accountancy College, and Botswana International University of Science and Technology.

The programme drew 25 students from the four universities this year.

Meanwhile, Tumiso Rakgare, the minister of youth empowerment, sport, and culture development, said, "Technology is rarely the work of a single genius, but rather the result of the collective efforts of teams."

He pleaded with Huawei, however, to adhere to ethics in its operations, saying, "On developing new technologies, always consider their ethical implications and how they might affect the lives of people and our planet. Strive to create technology that improves the human experience, respects privacy, and helps to make the world more equal and sustainable."