The Wizeline and Google partnership was born out of the shared commitment to bridge the digital skills gap and empower individuals with the tools needed to thrive in the tech-driven future. Wizeline Academy, known for its dedication to nurturing talent, and the Google Cloud Team, a global leader in cloud computing, came together to launch the free Data Engineering program. The program was strategically designed to provide hands-on, high-quality training, nurture local expertise, and catalyze innovation within the African tech ecosystem.
As a result of a very competitive selection process, 38 engineers from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Morocco were invited to join Wizeline’s intensive 8-week training program.
“In partnership with Google, our primary objective was to establish a strong foundation of knowledge and expertise among African engineers,” said Vanessa Díaz de León, DSA Senior Program Manager, Wizeline. “The program has been met with tremendous enthusiasm, and we anticipate similar initiatives that will ultimately help push African talent forward to become drivers of continuous digital transformation.”
Working Through Challenges
Throughout the training, Wizeline had to solve numerous challenges, including connectivity issues, continuous access to Google Cloud and language barriers. Native languages that the African engineers spoke included Swahili, Zulu, Yoruba, and Arabic, among others. Trainers leveraged rigorous screening and text-based interactions to help overcome language barriers.
As participants delved into the intricacies of data engineering using Google Cloud Platforms, they not only acquired technical skills but also gained exposure to real-world problems and challenges, preparing them for the demands of the tech industry.
Focused Mentoring Leads To Strong Participant Testimonials
One-on-one mentoring also proved pivotal to the project’s success. Participants benefited from 50 hours of personalized mentoring, which was essential in addressing the participants’ skill gaps and challenges and recognizing their unique circumstances.
Several participants expressed their appreciation for the training and endorsed the program as a whole:
- “Wizeline gave me the confidence boost I needed and connected me with the best teachers to help me grow in Data Engineering. Enrolling for this Bootcamp was by far the best decision I made!”
- “It was a confidence booster for me. I felt more like a Data Engineer now than I felt in the past few months.”
- “Wizeline’s data engineering Bootcamp was the perfect experience I needed to acquire valuable skills in solving real-life data engineering problems.”
Project Outcomes
Bootcamp participants realized a number of positive outcomes that stemmed from the opportunity to work with Wizeliners on this training:
- Acquire new knowledge and best practices from established industry experts,
- Explore new professional development opportunities within their respective local communities;
- Development of professional networks spanning strategic nations, including Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa;
- Awareness and utilization of Google Cloud services in the region.
The success of the bootcamp has led to additional opportunities from Wizeline Academy Digital Skills Accelerator (DSA) to facilitate new training for engineers in the Sub-Saharan African region.
TESTIMONIALS FROM PARTICIPANTS:
