Yacine El Mahdi Oualid, the Algerian Minister of vocational Training and Education, presided over a ceremony in Algiers on Thursday to sign a memorandum of understanding with Huawei. This agreement aims to establish a strategic partnership focused on developing skills in information and communication technology while connecting vocational training with the digital job market.
The signing ceremony was attended by several notable figures, including Dong Guangli, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Algeria; Eason Yi, the CEO of Huawei Algeria; Abdelouahab Gaoua, the president of the Group of Algerian of Digital Actors (GAAN); as well as other stakeholders from the technology sector.
In his address, the minister emphasized that the signing of this memorandum, which encompasses three protocols of agreement, is part of the broader initiative to “modernize vocational training programs to meet labor market demands through the adoption of artificial intelligence, cloud computing technologies, and more.”
He also highlighted that the collaboration between the two parties will offer vocational trainees, starting next September, “quality training” in various fields such as “cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence,” culminating in a diploma co-issued by the Ministry of Vocational Training and Huawei.
On this occasion, the minister underscored the efforts made by the sector to “support the digital transformation process in Algeria,” announcing the introduction of nearly 30 new specialties in digital technology for the upcoming academic year.
He specified that the memorandum pertains to “the National Specialized Institute for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Rahmania (Sidi Abdellah), the National Institute for Vocational Training (INSFP) in Bousmail dedicated to ICT and telecommunications professions, and the African Institute for Vocational Training in Boumerdès.”
For his part, the Chinese ambassador noted that “8,000 Algerian students have benefited from training programs developed under the partnership and cooperation between Algeria and Huawei.” He revealed that the signed memorandum will include “new trainees at three academies to be established at the training centers in Bousmail, Rahmania, and Boumerdès.”
The Chinese diplomat also commended the “strategic” cooperative relations between his country and Algeria, which have facilitated “an exchange of experiences and knowledge, and are expected to strengthen in the future through new projects, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence, information technology, and fifth-generation technologies.”
Meanwhile, the CEO of Huawei Algeria expressed the company’s commitment to “supporting the professional training sector in Algeria by providing high-quality training for both trainees and teachers.”
