Entrepreneurs to be trained on digital skills

More than 50,000 entrepreneurs will benefit from a digital skills improvement program to help enhance their employability.

This is through a partnership between the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and Enterprise Development and Stanbic Kenya Foundation.

The programme will target individuals who have lost their jobs during the Covid-19 economic downturn.

Stanbic bank and Microsoft Kenya will roll out the programme across the country in with support from the industrialisation ministry and its supporting state agencies.

A total of 1,000 government employees will have be trained and seconded to the program as instructors.

“We had set an initial target of 50,000 people in Kenya and will reach out to more in subsequent phases as we work to empower and uplift Kenyans,” said Chief Executive for Stanbic Bank Kenya, Charles Mudiwa.

The program expects to place 2,000 youth into employment by the end of 2021.

“The digital landscape is transforming rapidly, and Kenya must adapt to the new changes to keep the citizens employable, as the Government we believes technology will play a key role in transforming the economy and creating employment,” said Trade and Industrialization CS, Betty Maina.

Maina added that the partnership will go along in enhancing the government’s investments in the capacity building and adoption of digital technologies which will give the country a competitive advantage.

The global labour market will need around 150 million new tech jobs over the next five years, with many other traditional jobs becoming tech-enabled.

Collective action must be taken right away to stem the employment impacts of the pandemic or further social and economic disparity, coupled with an ever-widened skilling gap will be experienced.

“Addressing the growing skills gap within Kenya  will continue ensuring that youth within the region are able to gain employment and address socio-economic issues at a grassroot level,” said Kendi Nderitu, Country Manager at Microsoft in Kenya.

In the advent of Covid-19, several institutions and organizations are changing their business models and turning to digital platforms to stay connected with their customers and other key stakeholders.