Ericsson launches a university program to support building diverse local talent in the Middle East region in cooperation with universities across 12 countries cooperating in Saudi Arabia with Prince Sultan University.

Ericsson’s ICT Professional Foundation Program will help students from across the region gain knowledge in the ICT domain, making them more industry-ready.

Ericsson has officially launched its ICT Professional Foundation Program in the Middle East covering 12 countries with the ambition of helping graduates looking to join ICT giants such as Ericsson, to be better equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to this cutting edge business. The two-month online course aims to bridge the gap between academia and the information and communications technology (ICT) industry.

Ericsson has targeted universities across 12 countries (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, the UAE, Lebanon, Turkey, Ethiopia and Iran as a source of diverse talent for its ICT Professional Program.

In the Kingdom, Ericsson has co-operated with Prince Sultan University for the initiative.

“As the Saudi youth become increasingly empowered through education, it is our duty to offer them the best tools to enter this dynamic industry," said Prince Sultan University Rector Ahmed Yamani.

Rafiah Ibrahim, president, Ericsson Region Middle East, said: “Ericsson’s ICT Professional Foundation Program in the Middle East will provide students from across the region with unprecedented and exclusive access to emerging communications trends, industry best practices, and ground-breaking technologies.”

Girish Johar, VP, HR, Ericsson Middle East, said: “The program allows us to widen the talent pool here in the region and help shape the next generation of ICT leaders. At Ericsson, we support and celebrate diversity and inclusion and we welcome all qualified candidates to apply.”

With approximately 115,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries, Ericsson combines global scale with technology and services leadership.