The African Development Bank (AFDB) through its coding for employment program, has picked 500 change makers, 45% of whom are women, from four countries for the pilot digital ambassadors program.
These selected digital ambassadors will be put through a three-month course, in which they will be trained to acquire digital skills, such as software development, as well as soft skills, such as problem-solving, project management, and communication.
They will then lead a peer-to-peer training model that seeks to expand digital skills to more African youths, especially those in rural communities with limited internet connectivity.
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In 2018, the bank in collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation, Microsoft, and Facebook launched a coding for employment program. The program which was launched was aimed at preparing Africa’s youth for future jobs as well as equipping the next generation of young digital innovators from Africa by training them in demand-driven information and communications technology (ICT) as well as matching graduates directly with ICT employers.
This program was set up by the African Development Bank to equip youths in Africa with the necessary in-demand skills which will no doubt create a positive impact on the African workforce, thereby leading to the region’s economic transformation.
The coding for employment program which is at the center of AFDB jobs for Africa youths strategy, has predicted that by 2025, the program will equip about 50 million more youths with employable skills.
This will create about 25 million jobs in the ICT sector, agriculture, and other key industries across Africa. It is indeed highly commendable for the good work African Development Bank (AfDB) has been constantly doing towards equipping youths in Africa with on-demand skills.
Over the last 15 years, it might interest you to know that the African development bank has invested $1.64 billion in programs to prepare youths in Africa for technology, innovation, and careers in science.
As the world evolves into a fourth industrial revolution, the demand for digitization in almost every sector is on the rise. These digital innovations have been pivotal to solving some countries’ myriad problems as well as generating new job opportunities.
Unfortunately, in Africa, the digital gap is very wide which poses a serious challenge to the youths in the region from securing on-demand jobs which leaves the region underdeveloped.
This is why the African Development Bank through its constant skill acquisition program seeks to reduce the digital gap in Africa as well as equip the youth with relevant skills to also develop the region.
Through these skills, youths in Africa will become innovative by developing innovative solutions that will boost the economy of the region and also make it compete among developed regions.
With the high unemployment rate of youths in Africa, these programs will drastically reduce the number of unemployed people in the region.
It is pertinent to note that a highly skilled labor force in a thriving digital ecosystem will increase the ability of African countries to compete on a global scale, by attracting investments; promoting innovation in service delivery and value-addition to natural resources, as well as generating knowledge-intensive activities.