Kenya is still lacking adequate skills and workmanship required for a strong digital economy. According to a study released by UNESCO and Huawei, 50 to 55 percent of jobs in Kenya will rely on digital skills by 2030. This is an increase from 25 to 30 percent in 2019.
The report which was released on Thursday says the digital economy is expected to account for 25 percent of the global GDP by 2026, an increase from 15.5 percent in 2016.
A new ICT skill set and knowledge is thus required for the shift, but unfortunately, Kenya and many other countries are still deficient in various ICT skills including security, data analysis and processing as well as cloud computing.
“While Africa expects the digital economy to contribute about 5.2 per cent of its GDP by 2025, Kenya’s digital economy is expected to generate 9.24 per cent of the total GDP by 2025. Therefore, interventions that can contribute to further strengthening of the digital economy in Kenya are desirable,” says the report.
According to the study, the widening ICT gap is caused by a low uptake of ICT courses both at intermediate and advanced levels, with only about 5,000 students joining the field each year.
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
