The ICT CS Joseph Mucheru in partnership with Huawei and UNESCO has launched the Talent Cultivation Whitepaper to help Kenya tap the Digital Economy job creation.
Among those in attendance were ICT CS Joseph Mucheru, the University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Prof. Stephen Kiama, Huawei Deputy CEO Public Affairs Ms. Fiona Pan, Ministry of Education Assistant Director for Technical Education Mr. Ephraim Munene, and UNESCO’s Senior Program Specialist Dr. Partey Samuel.
The whitepaper not only provides research findings on the situation of Kenya’s ICT Talent development but also provides clear guidelines and recommendations to better improve the current programs in place by stakeholders including academia, industry and government.
Read: Kenya ICT Skills Gap Still Wide Despite Growing Digital Economy- Report
According to the World Bank statistics, by 2030, 55% of jobs in Kenya will require digital skills. Thus, this launch is fundamental in steering digital economic growth by providing opportunities that will help in the future.
“This transformation requires a massive investment in the relevant skills set that will allow for the youth and the old alike to partake and take advantage of the opportunities presented by the digital economy and the gig economy. I would like to commend Huawei for your commitment and investment in developing the local ICT talent,” The CS said.
His sentiments were echoed by Dr. Samuel Partey, Program Specialist, UNESCO who highlighted the importance of partnerships in ICT talent development.
Read Also: CS Mucheru Urges Youth to Take Advantage of Ajira Program Online Jobs
UON Vice-Chancellor said, “The need to improve ICT in all sectors of the Kenyan economy has been exacerbated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; this launch is an important milestone in the right direction. Building a framework in digital skills and leveraging the tremendous opportunities for technology will help the country to improve education quality and accessibility. I want to recognize UNESCO and Huawei for their efforts towards this.”
The importance of collaboration was also highlighted during a panel discussion with representatives of business, government, academia and development partners.
The panelists noted that just as software needs to be patched and updated quickly and easily to improve it, academic courses also need a mechanism for quickly and easily adding the latest curriculum and content into courses, without going through a long bureaucratic process that currently exists to update an entire course.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874. You can also find us on Telegram through www.t.me/kahawatungu
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
