By Omar Bah
A new Information Technology training institute has been launched in The Gambia aimed at bridging unemployment gaps in the country.
Suitin Suruwa Camara Unified IT Training Institute, inaugurated last weekend at the Mariama Kunda Highway, is designed to provide professional and modern information technology training.
The institute is partnering with CISCO Academy, CompTIA and ECDL (European computer driving license) centre and its classes are equipped with smart board technology.
The institute will provide IT professionals the needed skills to do their jobs effectively. It introduces core IT courses which will build the foundation for its students to venture into courses like cloud computing, Cyber security, Artificial intelligence and Machine learning.
“Technology leaders need visibility into how their teams work to put the right people on the right projects,” Sulayman Camara, CEO and founder of the IT Institute said.
Camara said students who successfully completed the training will be awarded international standard certificates that would enable them to acquire competitive jobs worldwide.
“The priority is to give the youth the opportunity to learn new Information Technologies as it is basic IT knowledge is now a requirement in many institutions. We give the students quality IT training,” he said.
Camara said the institute is recognised internationally and they certified trainees in different courses on information technology. “These certificates will give the students an added advantage to compete in the Job market globally,” Camara said.
He said countries like Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana have managed to employ the majority of their citizens thanks to quality skills training. “I believe we can do the same thing in The Gambia to ensure that our young people are given the required skills to be competitive in the world market,” he said.
Camara said Gambia cannot continue to afford the government to continue being the biggest employer. “This is why I decided to open the school to create the required avenues for Gambians who want to study IT. We have invested heavily in technology to make learning simple and more accessible to our students,” he noted.
He said the new institute will introduce Smart Board Technology in all its syllabus and virtual laboratory environment where the students will have the opportunity to talk to one another through video link.
The Institute’s Manager, Banka Manneh extolled Mr Camara for his foresight in deciding to remember his people.
“This clearly demonstrates that he is ready to help the youth of this country to acquire quality skills in IT to compete globally,” he said.
Manneh said Mr Camara is among the first Gambians who studied IT in the United States and his expertise will help boost IT in the country.
“We are starting with five classes or so and each class will have more than twenty computers,” he said.
Manneh concluded by thanking the Gambia Government for providing the enabling environment for businesses to operate in the country.
The training institute offers courses in cloud computing, cyber security, voice over IP, Pen testing, application development, web design, ECDL (European computer driving licenses) and computer networking.
