Local Molenbeek tech sensation MolenGeek has joined up with Microsoft to develop a training program on cybersecurity, where they will teach 150 young people in Brussels essential cybersecurity skills to meet the increasing demand, reports Bruzz.
The move comes as part of Microsoft's long-term investment programme Digital AmBEtion. The investment plan aims to kickstart the digital transformation of the private and public sectors in Belgium. With the training program, Microsoft wants to boost cybersecurity skills among employees in Belgium.
Teaming up with MolenGeek, Microsoft is now specifically targeting young people in Brussels, an underrepresented community in the tech sector.
"We are bringing critical skills to a community that has long struggled to keep up with the rapid pace of technological innovation," said Didier Ongena, General Manager of Microsoft Belux, in Bruzz.
"In one fell swoop we bring new opportunities to these people and we increase the talent pool for employers who are looking for the right people to guide their organisation through this transition."
MolenGeek will organise the programme throughout the summer, after which students can register from September. Microsoft and MolenGeek have initially targeted 150 students, of whom 60 will acquire all the necessary Microsoft certifications.
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"This is a pilot program, but this is by no means a one-off project. Our ambition is to make this a structural and long-term training program," said Ibrahim Ouassari, founder of MolenGeek.
MolenGeek, as a tech co-working and training space based in Molenbeek, Brussels, was designed by its founders to give local people the chance to boost their tech-skills and provide a common space for tech entrepreneurs in Brussels.
The company has received international praise, while also changing perceptions of the neighbourhood. In 2020, Google CEO Sundar Pichai donated €200,000 to MolenGeek for its training programmes for young people of diverse backgrounds.
