SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of over 50 geostationary satellites, along with its local partner Ecole Supérieure Multinationale des Télécommunications (ESMT), today announced its 4th ELEVATE programme in Senegal to support satellite and digital television migration in the country.
ELEVATE, launched in 2012, is the SES Quality Assurance and Accreditation training programme for installers across the African continent which aims to create an engaged installer network essential to support DTH growth. An ELEVATE certificate provides the opportunity to generate more income, as well as further develop skills, learn cutting edge techniques, and improve the overall quality of installations.
The 4th ELEVATE programme will provide training from 2–4 February 2016 to 116 local satellite installer’s students and ten trainers in partnership with ESMT, an international institution of higher learning based in Senegal. ESMT offers professional certifications and graduate programmes in telecommunications.
“The ELEVATE training programme has a ‘Train the Trainer’ aspect. Together with our local partner ESMT, SES colleagues identified talented installers and provided them with training and guidance on how to become instructors, thus enabling them to train other local installers. This allows SES to train more installers across French-speaking West Africa,” said Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou, Senior Vice President, SES Commercial in Africa.
In addition to the training sessions, installers are provided with specialised tools, free training material and downloadable manuals. Also, as part of the growing partnership, SES will use ESMT trainers to support the ELEVATE programme in Nigeria to train more installers.
Mr Mouhamadou Arabani Saibou, Director General of ESMT, added, “SES has the capacity and expertise to connect companies and communities across the country, and with the rest of the world. SES is partnering with ESMT to increase skills development and job creation across Africa.”
The SES ELEVATE team has so far trained over 5,000 installers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Niger, and the number continues to grow across the continent.