Huawei announces launch of coveted ICT Skill Competition to unearth and nurture local talent

Huawei has announced the launch of its Middle East ICT Skill Competition 2017. Aimed at universities and students, the programme seeks to unearth and nurture the region’s finest ICT talent.

In line with Huawei’s mandate to support government digitisation strategies, national visions and plans for growth of critical industries, the competition will foster development for the next generation responsible for driving the digital transformation. Ten countries in the region are expected to participate, with registration open till October 10.

In the Middle East, the competition is a critical initiative for enhancing the quality of future ICT professionals, a key pillar in national agendas of building knowledge-based economies. The competition increases national ICT competitiveness, supporting local communities across the Middle East. The generation of students involved is expected to lead the Middle East’s ICT industry into the future by embracing the digital transformation. The ICT Skill Competition is specifically designed to prepare this generation for such a responsibility.

Close to 80 of the region’s best universities have registered for the competition. The top 13 most skilled teams will be selected to travel to Huawei’s home in Shenzhen, China, where the final stage of the competition will take place between December 11 and 15. This will be the last step in an arduous journey; competitors registered at the event starting from June, and those who make it to the final stage, will already have passed through two rounds of highly selective examinations at the local and national level.

Not only will the winners of the competition receive certificates, trophies and prizes, they will also have a once-in-alifetime opportunity to travel to China and gain insider access to a top global ICT company. Huawei will grant the winners an exclusive fully paid trip to the company’s international headquarters in Shenzhen and the chance to meet with the brand’s leadership. They will gain unrivalled exposure to Huawei’s expertise in telecommunications, enterprise and consumer business, not to mention a priceless cultural experience and knowledge exchange.

The competition is part of Huawei’s longstanding effort to have a positive impact on the community in the Middle East. Huawei has already implemented a Seeds for the Future programme to offer training and internships to promising students across the region. Participants will work in a real laboratory, and tackle some of the industry’s most complex challenges. The competition material is based on advanced IP and IT material, and tests competitors on their knowledge of cloud computing, switching, routing and network security.

The ICT Skill Competition works in partnership with local government authorities to ensure Huawei is doing all it can, together with leading universities, to nurture local ICT talent, in order to support and grow the future leaders of the industry.

Charles Yang, Huawei ME president, said, “Knowledge transfer and nurturing future ICT talent has always been a core pillar of the Huawei way, and we are thrilled to be able to launch the ICT Skill Competition for that exact reason.

“The future of ICT progress lays in the hands of our students, and by developing platforms and programmes that allow them to grow and mature into experts, we can better equip the next generation of technology leaders.”