Microsoft, a multinational technology company has revealed that its Technology for Social Change and Development Initiative has provided digital skills training to half a million Nigerian youth through a ‘train the trainer’ programme reaching 5,000 trainers from 10 states across the country.
According to Ibrahim Youssry, Regional General Manager Middle East & Africa Multi-Country Region at Microsoft, the tech company is focused on empowering educators to digitally transform classrooms and reimagine learning to build the skills necessary for the future workforce in Africa.
“Often unemployment arises due to a skills gap between first-time job seekers and employers. It’s essential to upskill youth with the right combination of technical and soft skills to immediately make a difference in the workplace,” he said.
Microsoft said it is has been able to achieve the aforementioned through various initiatives and programmes, such as Student2Business, an opportunity for youth to acquire experience at a leading technology company. Also, it Career Pathways programme offers various Microsoft learning resources, from formal technology certification exams to free online courses and detailed learning paths that help youth gain in-demand skills.
Funded by Bill Gates, Microsoft stated that it is committed to helping every person and organisation in the Middle East and Africa prepare for the digital revolution. Microsoft is enabling a knowledge-based economy in the region by redefining education, empowering youth and closing the skills gap through a combination of partnerships, training, real-world experiences and online classrooms.
“At Microsoft, we believe that technology is a powerful force for good in a rapidly changing world. We have a responsibility to bring everyone into the digital economy, and this will only happen if the right skills are available to enable the digital future,” Youssry said.
Since 2017, the company has been able to upskill 4.8 million underserved youth in Africa through its Digital Skills programme, thereby rendering half-a-million youth employable and supporting the direct employment of over 27,000 youth.
The Washington-based company said it was also able to provide 2,680 internship opportunities while enabling over 1,500 aspiring entrepreneurs to establish their own businesses.
In partnership with the African Development Bank, the Coding for Employment programme by Microsoft plans to upskill 50 million youth across Africa and create 25 million jobs in agriculture, Information Communications and Technology (ICT), and other key industries across Africa, by 2025.
Conscious of the need to encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM, Microsoft said it has been collaborating with FAWE (Forum for African Women Educationalists) since 2016 to train young women, teachers and students across 10 countries to adopt and use STEM curricula, teaching and learning materials and classroom practise that are gender-responsive. Through this collaboration, “we have supported the training of 25,000 young women and 250 teachers on digital skills,” it assured.
Also, with support from Microsoft, the Zariah Elizabeth Foundation has provided 50,000 young women with digital skills training through a ‘train the trainer’ programme in UNESCO community centres, with 2,000 teachers and trainers receiving training and support to effectively teach digital skills.
“Regardless of the delivery method, technology can never replace good teachers in the classroom. We know that as we bring technology into the classroom, we need to be careful that we use it to complement, rather than replace, traditional teaching practices,” Microsoft said in a document seen by BusinessDay.
Over 150,000 teachers and 5 million students in the last three years are already benefitting from these efforts to provide access to technology, content and training, it explained.
