The Microsoft Africa Development Centre (ADC) and Microsoft Leap are delighted to launch an inaugural workshop intentionally designed for university lecturers, proficient in leading technology-focused courses. University lecturers will be provided with an opportunity to engage with fellow educators in skill enhancement modules and identify best practices to incorporate into their curriculum. The 12-week program, which begins on March 6th, will use a hybrid classroom model and practical training to provide instructors with a better understanding of industry requirements and inspire a curriculum change that will align university classrooms with the needs of the technology industry.
“This program is the result of collaboration on many fronts, including university lecturers and their students. The training has been designed to provide lecturers with hands-on experience with industry needs, allowing them to design effective teaching for their students in an equally practical manner. The course will also expose them to advanced topics and allow them to learn and experiment with effective teaching techniques while obtaining essential aspects of carrying out research studies,” said Catherine Muraga, Microsoft ADC Managing Director, at the program’s launch.
Yolanda Natal-Santos, Microsoft Leap’s Senior Business Program Manager says “Rooted in our culture of the growth mindset and the belief that digital skills are for everyone, we are grateful for our partnership with the Microsoft ADC, as we extend Microsoft Leap’s global reach to a region that is rich in culture and talent. The growth of our partnership with the Microsoft ADC, has provided our program with a platform to continue identifying, engaging, and aligning with changemakers in Africa, as we impact and elevate together.”
Working collectively with Engineers from the ADC, Nairobi, the program will enhance skills, based on a curriculum developed and taught by Microsoft Leap instructors.
In addition to technical programming aspects and teaching a hybrid classroom, educators will receive training on specific Microsoft tools that are already being used in classrooms around the world and can be introduced to Kenyan lecture halls. The program will also provide technical educators with the tools they need to introduce popular Microsoft resources like Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Power Platforms, and Microsoft Dynamics. “JKUAT’s Department of Computing is thrilled to participate in the Microsoft Skilling Program, as it will provide our staff with access to cutting-edge technologies and a leading global company. This opportunity to engage with industry-relevant skills and knowledge
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brings great joy to the university”, Dr. Lawrence Nderu, Chairman/Lecturer, Department of Computing, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology said. “The world is changing quickly, and if we are to mould tomorrow’s leaders, we as lecturers must evolve too. Each day, there are new tools and methods being devised that are becoming increasingly crucial to operating within the tech industry. For the sake of our students, it is best that we learn how to leverage industry-standard and emerging technology from industry leaders.”
Githinji emphasised a multi-pronged approach to improving technical education in Kenyan universities. “Improving lecturers’ capacities is line with the ADC’s digital skilling initiatives that range from elementary school-level all the way into the workplace. We held several campus tours last year, which prompted us to begin a curriculum review process with JKUAT. Improving all aspects of the training ladder is critical if we want to create a tech talent pipeline that is not only robust enough to meet today’s needs, but also propels Africa to compete on a global scale,” she added.
The first cohort of 23 educators is drawn from both private and public universities, including Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Multimedia University, and Kirinyaga University. Strathmore University, KCA University, Kabarak University, USIU- Africa, Zetech University, and Africa Nazarene University are the others.
This course is designed to magnify the lecturer’s delivery of core general management and drive engagement with advanced technology topics. Lecturers will be able to experiment with alternative teaching techniques and glean additional essential insight and research studies best practices.
About Microsoft Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
About the ADC Microsoft launched the Africa Development Centre (ADC) in 2019 with an initial site within Microsoft offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and another in Lagos, Nigeria. The centre’s goal is to attract world-class African engineering talent to create innovative solutions spanning the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge. Since its inception in Nairobi in 2019, the ADC has grown to over 500
Microsoft signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Texas A&M University, Qatar, to empower its engineering students with future-ready skills. The partnership with the Qatar Foundation partner university will provide students with the tools and experiences necessary to drive innovation and succeed in the workforce. As part of the agreement, the university will leverage Microsoft tools and platforms to achieve their common goal.
Texas A&M will pilot activities such as the Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Community and Microsoft Azure for Students in the 2021-2022 academic year. Microsoft Learn provides self-paced, digital learning resources to build skills and a foundational understanding of technology. Microsoft Learn will complement classroom learning and study materials. Students will get to join the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Community which will help students learn and lead. By giving them access to free tools, events and activities and unlocking exclusive benefits through learning. Through Microsoft Azure for Students, students will gain hands-on experience with Microsoft technologies to start building apps, explore artificial intelligence (AI) and big data.
The faculty and teaching staff at Texas A&M University, Qatar, will also have access to Azure Development Tools for teaching. This will give them access to tools commonly used in STEM programs. It will also give them the opportunity to participate in the Microsoft Learn for Educators Institution Program, which gives eligible educators access to additional teaching and learning benefits.
“Texas A&M is proud to partner with Microsoft as we work together to educate engineering leaders in Qatar. We are grateful to share this vision with Microsoft and we look forward to the future successes of this partnership. Especially of our graduates says Dr. César Octavio Malavé, Dean Texas A&M.
Our partnership with Texas A&M at Qatar comes in line with our commitment to provide higher education institutions in Qatar with the resources and tools needed to build the next-generation workforce that will accelerate the country’s transition into a knowledge-based economy and innovation hub.
Lana Khalaf, country manager of Microsoft Qatar
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Four hundred thousand people in South Africa have participated in the Microsoft Global Skills initiative. A Digital skills initiative that seeks to help participants gain in-demand skills to become employable. This shows an increase from the three hundred thousand shared in March this year.
Lillian Barnard, Managing Director, Microsoft South Africa details this at the launch event of the Nedbank DigiSkills online platform. Another strategic partnership with a private sector organization to extend the reach of digital skills to more South Africans.
Extending access to these learning paths, skills and tools come at a critical time for South Africa, says Lillian Barnard. Noting a declining economy and unemployment remain a mounting and widespread challenge in the country.
Even though the skills program has exceeded its initial goal of reaching 25 million learners, only over a million of those come from Africa. With South Africa having the most participants. Microsoft mentioned partnering with other organizations and governments as one of the many ways to change this. And offering additional funding and services where necessary.
These partnerships have been fundamental to scale programmes that help more people gain the critical future skills needed in the digital economy. We are committed to collaborating with partners such as Nedbank and Afrika Tikkun to provide the training, tools and platforms to boost employability and economic growth.
Lillian Barnard
Lillian believes digital skills are the most effective way to drive economic recovery in South Africa. Noting it is a priority for Microsoft to create opportunities that will enable and empower unemployed South Africans. Microsoft has provided $150000 in grants to the youth development NPO to extend the reach of the Microsoft Skills Initiative programme in South Africa.
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Over 30.7 million people across the globe have participated in the free Microsoft global digital skills initiative. The company says this sharing an update on the initiative’s progress nine months on.
An increase from the 10 million reached in September last year and surpasses the planned target of 25 million. It also sees the number of participating countries increased from 231 countries and territories to 249.
The United States, India, Brazil, United Kingdom, Mexico, Poland, France, Germany, Canada and Spain account for the to 10 countries with learners.
Microsoft says it is ready to launch the next phase of the project after learning from it. The next phase will see Microsoft help 250,000 companies make a skills-based hire in 2021.
The company announced the Global Skills initiative program at a time when the world was grappling with a pandemic that saw millions of lives affected globally. Microsoft gave people the opportunity to acquire in-demand digital skills across Microsoft Learn, LinkedIn, and GitHub learning platforms.
Among learners, popular courses have been for roles in software development, customer service and data analysts according to Microsoft.
Microsoft is extending the free LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Learn courses and low-cost certifications that align to 10 of the most in-demand jobs offer through 2021.
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The youth in Ekiti State, Nigeria, will benefit from a new collaboration between the state government and Microsoft Nigeria.
The partnership will see the youth acquire new digital skills, get certified and become employable.
Ekiti State Government will also invest about two hundred thousand dollars in two thousand participants with free vouchers to earn an industry-recognized Microsoft IT certificate.
The initiative is in tandem with Microsoft’s global skills initiative. Which plans to have about twenty-five million people gain new digital skills worldwide by March 2021.
The government notes the initiative is geared at the unemployed and underemployed. And part of the governor’s actions to mitigate the economic impact of covid-19.
The government is also working with three local hubs; GoGlobal Hub, Glimpse Solutions and Christore Hub in the initiative. These hubs will confirm competition of the selected course and issue participant with the certification exams voucher.
Here’s what to know to participate in the digital skills program.
Firstly, you’ll need to be a resident of Ekiti State to be eligible to participate in the program.
Secondly, you’ll need to have access to the internet and a device to complete the lessons.
Thirdly, you’ll need to register on the program website. Select a course to study and a hub for post training verification.
Once you have completed all the learning modules, you will download and print the issued certificate of completion. Present this at the hub to get a voucher to pay for the Microsoft certification exams. You will have about two weeks to take the exams.
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