Johannesburg: TECHz – News Desk
On International Youth Day, MTN advanced its commitment to economic and digital inclusion by rolling out an AI-enabled Job Board feature on the MTN Skills Academy platform.
This new feature provides young learners across 11 African markets with centralized access to employment opportunities, in-demand training courses, and personalized skills guidance. Unlike conventional job-search platforms that primarily function as static vacancy listings, MTN’s new Job Board utilizes artificial intelligence to actively recommend relevant roles based on each user’s current skills, location, and long-term career goals.
The platform’s standout capability lies in its proactive career guidance. Rather than simply presenting available roles, it helps job seekers understand how their current capabilities align with employer requirements. When users encounter a specific skills gap that might prevent them from landing a position, the platform automatically recommends free, high-demand courses available directly through the Skills Academy to help bridge that divide. Users can also filter opportunities, save vacancies, and track their progress through the application, interview, and offer stages.
With more than 60% of Africa’s population under the age of 25, the demand for technology skills is surging. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) projects that over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will necessitate digital skills by 2030, underscoring the urgent need to closely align training with labor-market demands.
“This year’s theme, ‘Different Contexts, Common Aspirations’, reflects a reality we see across our markets,” stated Marina Madale, MTN Group Executive for Sustainability and Shared Value. “Young people start from different circumstances, but they share the need for relevant skills and clearer routes to opportunity. Digital and financial inclusion becomes more economically meaningful when it helps people participate in the economy. For MTN, the Job Board gives further practical expression to our commitment to digital and economic inclusion by connecting learning, skills and opportunity.”
Launched in 2022, the MTN Skills Academy equips African youth with future-ready capabilities across disciplines like artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity, coding, and digital literacy. To date, the platform has achieved nearly 526,000 enrolments, over 192,000 course completions, and 1,122 specializations across its 11 operational markets.
The Academy is also built with “accessibility-by-design” principles, enabling users of all abilities – including those with visual, cognitive, neurological, and mobility needs – to easily navigate and complete their learning pathways. By integrating learning, job discovery, and application tracking into a single ecosystem, MTN is actively strengthening the pathway from acquiring digital skills to securing meaningful employment across the continent.
