Schneider Electric and the International Business Training College (IBTC) have expanded their data centre workforce development programme to Kenya. The programme, formalised during ITW & Datacloud Africa in Nairobi, aims to train engineering and technology graduates for roles in the data centre sector. The expansion builds on existing programmes established by IBTC in South Africa and Nigeria. The programme is designed to address the growing need for technical skills in the data centre industry.
The programme will be delivered with support from the Africa Data Centres Association and other industry partners. Schneider Electric will provide the foundational curriculum through Schneider Electric University for the Data Centre Certified Associate programme. The training covers areas including power, cooling, energy management, security, controls, and operational resilience. This comprehensive training will equip engineers and technicians with the skills needed to design, operate, and maintain data centres.
The expansion of the programme to Kenya is a strategic move to address the growing demand for digital infrastructure skills in the country. According to Steve Santini, Vice President, Secure Power, Sub-Saharan Africa, at Schneider Electric, building a sustainable talent pipeline is critical to supporting the growth of digital infrastructure across the continent. The partnership with IBTC and ADCA will help address this need.
The programme will follow IBTC's "source, train, place" model, combining structured training, industry certification, and practical exposure to data centre operations. Participants will begin with the DCCA I training before progressing to advanced industry certification pathways. This model has been successful in South Africa and Nigeria, and IBTC is confident that it will yield similar results in Kenya.
IBTC Data Centre Academy will oversee programme delivery and workforce development, while ADCA will provide industry leadership and governance support to align the training with the needs of the data centre sector. Industry partners, including IMEX and IX Africa, will support practical elements of the programme, giving participants exposure to technologies and operating environments used in data centres.
The expansion of the programme comes as data centre operators across Africa invest in capacity to meet rising demand for cloud services, artificial intelligence workloads, and other digital applications. IBTC Chief Executive Officer Nikki Maritz emphasised the importance of collaboration between training organisations, technology providers, and industry bodies to develop a sustainable talent pipeline.
The IBTC Data Centre Academy is already delivering training in South Africa, Nigeria, and Qatar, with Kenya becoming its latest African market. The academy works with Schneider Electric University and EPI/EXIN on training content and certification. The programme is expected to play a critical role in addressing the skills gap in the data centre industry in Kenya and across Africa.
Key points
- Schneider Electric and IBTC expand data centre training programme to Kenya to address growing demand for digital infrastructure skills.
- The programme will follow IBTC's "source, train, place" model, combining structured training, industry certification, and practical exposure to data centre operations.
- The expansion is part of a broader effort to develop a sustainable talent pipeline in the data centre industry across Africa.
