250 youths have completed software development training courtesy of investment between The Family Group Foundation and Adanian Labs Africa.
This marks the second cohort of software engineers that have undergone this training. The second cohort of graduates has undergone training focused on digital skills, software development, AI, and Blockchain to give them a foundation for innovation and entrepreneurship through which they can develop innovative solutions to local and global problems. The program has also empowered the youth to leverage technology to contribute to economic development, develop problem-solving skills, and foster a culture of continuous learning as technology is always evolving.
“This partnership seeks to instill entrepreneurship and growth mindset to create the next generation of innovators and creators and promote resilience of our youth to transform dreams as we create a safe, secure, and inclusive digital future for the African continent,” said Family Bank CEO Designate Nancy Njau.
A study by UNESCO in 2021 expects 50-55 percent of jobs in Kenya will rely on digital skills by 2039, up from 25-30 percent in 2019. However, Kenya lacks the sufficient high-level digital skills needed to contribute to the digital ecosystem which has held back Kenya’s digital transformation journey. The Government has been at the forefront of trying to bridge the skills gap by investing in the digital economy to create more opportunities for youth. The Government has invested USD 132 million for the 2022-2023 financial year to scale up ICT infrastructure and promote service delivery and through the ICT Authority launched a program to train 20 million Kenyans in digital skills and the Presidential Digital Talent program.
“The rate of unemployment is high across Africa. To trade better and grow the economy of Kenya, we have to train qualitative skillsets to drive social capital and grow the economy. The youth have dreams and this is an opportunity to better our continent. We face many challenges but what we can do is to change our ecosystem one at a time,” said Adanian Labs CEO John Kamara.
This program seeks to help the youth foster a start-up culture as witnessed through tech solutions in agri-business, real estate, financial, and health sectors. The graduates will also receive mentorship and start-up incubation support as they join the market as new innovators.
This brings the total number of youth who have completed this training launched successful careers and start-ups and contributed to various tech projects to 340.
This graduation comes during the Kenya Innovation Week Commonwealth Edition which has brought together different stakeholders to celebrate the innovative spirit of Kenyans. The Government has also announced the inaugural Presidential Innovation Award to recognize the most promising innovations during the upcoming Jamhuri Day celebrations on 12th December 2023.
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