By Rosemary Iwuala
Andela, the global network for remote technical talent, has announced the launch of the Andela Rwanda Apprenticeship Program, a 12-week program that aims to introduce global organizations to the vast potential of up-and-coming Rwandese tech talent.
The apprenticeship program offers companies the chance to build their team with graduate apprentices from the Andela Technical Leadership Program (ATLP).
The ATLP is Andela Rwanda’s signature accelerator program, in partnership with the country’s Ministry of ICT and Innovation, empowering Rwandese nationals with the prerequisite software engineering they need to be future tech leaders.
The ATLP simulates a real-world technology product setup, where participants learn to work within a team to build web applications with best practices based on Javascript and its associated frameworks.
The program has so far successfully trained 380 junior engineers from across ten different African countries, with over 70% of the graduates from the ATLP currently employed. There are currently 150 additional learners in the program.
Andela’s developer apprentices have undergone intensive training in the PERN (PostgreSQL & MongoDB, Express. React, Node) software stack. They have also completed an immersive, experiential process of learning the soft skills required to thrive as a professional in any distributed engineering team.
Andela apprentices will be tasked to add business value to their ‘adopter’ organization and enhance their team’s performance. Organizations are invited to participate in the scheme to increase their teams’ productivity and contribute to the tech growth and development of technical talent on the African continent. Organizations will provide a stipend directly to their apprentice.
Mike B Ndimurukundo, Managing Director, Andela Rwanda, said, “The Apprenticeship Program offers a unique opportunity for global organizations to tap into the vast potential of Rwandese tech talent, and help shape the future of tech growth in Africa.
“By collaborating with Andela’s skilled and dedicated apprentices, companies not only enhance their teams’ performance but also contribute to the development of technical talent on the continent. Join us in empowering the next generation of African tech leaders,” he added.
Andela Rwanda will support participating organizations throughout the three-month program, including performance management via a strong and tight feedback loop between the Apprentice and an organization’s team lead to ensure the apprentice is fully aware of all expectations and act accordingly.
In addition, there will be monthly technical workshops available, as well as coaching sessions helping to upskill and enhance their apprentice’s knowledge, so they prove more of an asset to teams.
