CHARLIE TAYLOR

The Digital Skills Academy, which was established in 2008 in response to a growing gap in formal online digital technology training, has expanded overseas after winning a major contract to train employees at South African's largest telecoms firm, MTN.

The move comes after the Dublin-based training organisation recently signed similar agreements with Standard Bank, one of country's largest financial services group, and with the local division of professional services firm, KPMG.

MTN, which has more than 23 million subscribers in South Africa, is a Johannesburg headquartered group with operations in 22 countries across Africa and the Middle East. It employs more than 17,000 people across the group.

The recently announced deals come after the Digital Skills Academy, which is supported by Enterprise Ireland, opened an office in Johannesburg.

Based in the Digital Hub in the Liberties area of Dublin, the academy provides a number of digital technology-related qualifications which are accredited by Dublin Institute of Technoloy (DIT). The organisation recently commenced a new international degree in digital technology, design and innovation with participants from Ireland, north and Latin America, Africa and the UK.

Commenting on the academy's international expansion, founder and chief executive Paul Dunne said that feedback from meetings with industry partners internationally showed that a digital skills shortage is proving to be a challenge across a range of business functions.

“The solution needed is not only to add more IT people, but rather to add new digital skills to existing staff in the business. This is the challenge that Digital Skills Academy addresses,” said Mr Dunne.