Vodafone is committed to bridging the digital divide by providing essential digital skills, especially for young people and vulnerable people. In Europe, a significant share of the population lacks basic digital skills, and in Africa, a strong demand for digital skills is expected by 2030.
To fill this gap, Vodafone offers training and mentoring programmes, including graduate programmes, apprenticeships, traineeships and career development initiatives. In collaboration with Skillsoft, Vodafone has launched a digital skills programme for its employees and is extending this programme to young people in the UK and several African countries, reaching around 10,000 young people with training in coding, cybersecurity and other technological skills.
Vodafone also organizes the Campus Lab program for European students, providing them with real-life problem-solving and mentoring opportunities, thus improving their employability and salary prospects.
In addition, the Vodafone Foundation supports initiatives such as the Instant Schools network for refugees and host communities, and the SkillsUpload Jr programme in Europe. Initiatives like Hi Digital provide digital skills training for seniors, and a collaboration with Lloyds Bank provides digital skills phone support.