Huawei takes ICT academy to HEART

Tech giant Huawei has given a major boost to Jamaica's quest to boost the development of information and communications technology (ICT) talents on the island.

The company, last Thursday, handed over several types of equipment to the Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI), the tertiary institution for the HEART/NSTA Trust.

Huawei also agreed to provide ICT in areas such as PV solar, fibre optics, and telecoms frequency technologies.

"Huawei will be providing over US$100,000 worth of equipment and training to HEART and to the VTDI to be able to deliver this training to young Jamaicans and to develop ICT talents. We believe that there is a great demand for the ICT skillset in Jamaica and around the region," said Courtney Hamilton, director of enterprise business at Huawei.

The VTDI is the second academic institution in Jamaica that the tech company has partnered with to establish its Huawei ICT academy, the first being The University of the West Indies, Mona.

Bo Zhou, country manager, Huawei Technologies Jamaica, said the Huawei ICT academy will contribute to the digital transformation of the country through the use of ICT technology.

"The ICT industry and the green energy industry are growing rapidly, and so talent is key for the country's development. There is a huge demand for the ICT professional talents in the industry and we realise that, and as a company in Jamaica, Huawei would like to contribute to this country's development," Zhou said.

Floyd Green, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, said the partnership will contribute to the digital transformation and ICT growth of the country.

"We believe [that] in order to embrace the change that is happening across the world, and [in] order to develop a digital society, then a foundation must start with training," Green said.