by Sylvester Addo | Apr 17, 2019 | 4Afrika, General, Hour of Code, Microsoft Africa, Microsoft Nigeria
In July 2018 Microsoft, Facebook and The Rockefeller Foundation partnered with the African Development Bank to announce Coding for Employment. An initiative seeking to bridge the digital skills divide among African youths.
To kick start the program and to celebrate women’s month Microsoft and the African Development Bank(AfDB) have started a month long all-female ICT and digital skills bootcamp on two campuses(Centres of Excellence) in Nigeria. Gombe State University and Covenant University located in Gombe and Ogun States respectively.
“The all-female cohort of the Coding for Employment Program is to increase the number of female coders, accelerate gender equality and empowerment for women and girls in the digital era“.
The program “aspires that the all-female cohort will spark an interest in more girls and young women to pursue STEM. That’s encourage them to pursue realizations in STEM related fields“.
The ADB says “the programme acts as an entry point for young female participants who are keen to find jobs within the growing ICT sector. At the end of the course, participants may continue to a more advanced level or simply use their new skills to enhance their job searches.”
AfDB program Task Manager Coding For Employment, Uyoyo Edosio spoke at the launch of the pilot scheme at the Covenant University. She said “In the next 10 years, AfDB will be working at increasing ICT Centres of Excellence in the continent. Creating over 1.9 million jobs. We are building a whole value chain from this launch”
160 young women have ben selected to participate in the month-long all-female coding class in Nigeria.
The partnership between Microsoft and the African Development Bank will continue to focus on increasing the participation of underserved youth and women while equipping youth across Africa with the skills needed to fill jobs now and in the future,” – Ghada Khalifa, Director of Philanthropies for the Middle East and Africa
Under the program so far Microsoft and the AfDB have trained 555 participants in a 3 day Hour of Code campaign. Microsoft has also trained 80 instructors in Nigeria and 60 in Kenya to deliver the basic ICT skills material. The Afbd will be launching an aggregated online training and talent portal with content from LinkedIn Learning.
The coding for employment program, still on a pilot scheme will be rolled out at 14 centres of excellence across Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
?: Covenant University
by Sylvester Addo | Jul 12, 2018 | 4Afrika, General, Microsoft Africa
Microsoft among partners sealing Africa youth digital skills gap
Microsoft has joined other partners in the Coding for Employment program – an initiative seeking to bridge the digital skills divide among the youth in Africa. Under the program by African Development Bank (ADB), the youth will be equipped with demand-driven Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills that match demands of potential ICT employers. Other partners taking part in the initiative that was unveiled at the African Innovation Summit in Kigali, Rwanda include The Rockefeller Foundation and Facebook.
The ADB reckons the world is moving towards a fourth industrial revolution where demand for digitization across health, education and other sectors is set to rise. The Bank notes that digital innovations not only hold the key to solving the development challenges in Africa, but also the potential to generate new job opportunities.
“The youth population is rapidly growing and by 2050, is expected to double to over 830 million. Yet, the digital divide in Africa persists and critical skills gaps pose serious challenges to youth securing quality and decent work in a rapidly changing workforce,” says ADB
Coding for Employment program hopes to bridge digital skills divide
The Coding for Employment program targets to create over 9 million jobs and reach 32 million youth and women across Africa. The initiative is set for roll out in Senegal, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Rwanda which will see establishment of 130 centers of excellence. Partners under the Coding for Employment program have committed to help bridge the skills gap in order to accelerate development and maximize job creation among the youth.
Microsoft will provide locally relevant curricula that adapts to each country’s specific needs and context. The focus will be on providing basic to intermediate digital skills training, as well as soft and employability skills. In efforts to do this sustainably, Microsoft will identify partners capable of training university staff, as well as youth and community volunteers on digital skills in select universities and Centers of Excellence across the continent. The trainers will also be supported to become tech entrepreneurs who develop new locally-relevant products and services.
Microsoft’s Director of Philanthropies for the Middle East and Africa, Ghada Khalifa, says even though digital skills are essential for the jobs of today and tomorrow, they are beyond the reach of too many young Africans.
“Together with our partners like the African Development Bank, we are working to change that. The partnership between Microsoft and the African Development Bank will continue to focus on increasing the participation of underserved youth and women while equipping youth across Africa with the skills needed to fill jobs now and, in the future,” she said.
Under the Coding for Employment initiative, Microsoft will register the graduates on a web portal for monitoring and evaluation, as well as an employment portal where they can be matched with relevant job openings. Graduates will receive certification following their successful completion of the curriculum.
Microsoft Bridging the Digital Skills Gap with 4Afrika initiatives
Over the past few years, Microsoft has played an active role in bridging the digital skill gap as is demonstrated with introduction of the 4Afrika initiative.
A key focus under the 4Afrika initiative is developing skilled workforces in the continent and investing in local technology solutions. Currently Microsoft says over the last three years through its Philanthropies Digital Skills program it has upskilled 2.6 million underserved youth in Africa. It has also generated over 50,000 employment and 2,680 internship opportunities, while enabling over 2,000 aspiring entrepreneurs to establish their own businesses. Thus touching the lives of over 8 million youths in Africa. On its skills bridging initiative across the continent, Microsoft currently has 16 AppFactories across Africa. Microsoft 4Afrika Academy dean, Lutz Ziob shared why it’s critical to bridge this gap.
?: AIS | ADB
