Google is creating a big opportunity for African developers. It has now made available 30,000 scholarship positions for the 2019 edition of Google Africa Certification Scholarships. This is in line with the company’s commitment to providing mobile developer training to 100,000 Africans.

The tech giants said they are looking to digital skill training, economic opportunities, education and support to African start-ups and developers. They are now offering 30,000 scholarship opportunities and 1,000 grants for Android, Mobile Web and Cloud Engineer certifications.

Google will be partnering with software start-up Andela and online education company Pluralsight. They will both deliver an intensive learning curriculum designed to prepare learners for entry-level and intermediate roles as software developers.

The head of developer training programmes at Google, William Florance, said that the scholarships will equip developers with the right skills for future jobs. The “certifications are developed around a job-task analysis that tests learners for skills employers expect developers to have in these domains,” Florance said. He added that Africa should have the largest working-age population of about 1.1 billion people by 2034.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and residents of any African country at the time of the application. The training will also be 100% online.

Google announced 15,000 single course scholarships and 500 nano-degree scholarships in 2018.

The online courses will provide students with guided skill developments. They will also have access to expert-led videos, skill assessment and support from the sponsors.

Interested eligible candidates can apply here.