AFRICA: The African Development Bank’s Coding for Employment program has identified 500 changemakers from four African nations for the pilot Digital Ambassadors Program, with 45 percent of them being women.
The selected Digital Ambassadors will begin a three-month course in which they will learn in-demand 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 strategy aimed at increasing digital skills among African adolescents, particularly in rural regions with restricted internet access.
The Digital Ambassadors were picked from over 21,000 applications received from around Africa by the Bank and its technical partner, Microsoft. The 500 Digital Ambassadors for this initial edition were selected from four countries where the Coding for Employment initiative is in operation, namely Côte d’Ivoire (75), Kenya (100), Nigeria (150), and Senegal (175).
“The Digital Ambassadors Program has arrived just in time as the Bank completes the Skills for Employability and Productivity in Africa Action Plan 2022-2025.” The Action Plan will provide African youth with skills that are in great demand in the labor market. “Both will complement one another and have a good influence on Africa’s workforce, leading to economic development,” said Martha Phiri, the Bank’s Director for Human Capital, Youth, and Skills Development.
Following graduation, the Digital Ambassadors will receive information and communication technology toolkits from the Bank and Microsoft, allowing them to provide the same training in their own communities.
In 2018, the Bank launched the Coding for Employment initiative to provide African youth with demand-driven information and communication technology skills, allowing them to compete in the global labor market. Across its countries of operation, the program has established information and communication technology centers with partner universities and provided digital skills training to over 150,000 youth, including 135,000 reached through the Coding for Employment eLearning platform and the Digital Nigeria platform.
The Coding for Employment Program is fundamental to the Bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, which aims to put Africa’s youth on a path to success. The Employment for Youth in Africa Strategy aims to train 50 million youth and create 25 million jobs in agriculture, information and communication technology, and other critical industries across Africa by 2025.
“We are blown away by the candidates’ excitement and commitment to the program. We sifted through all of the applications to find applicants with backgrounds and qualifications that closely match the selection criteria. The 500 candidates will not only learn skills that will help them find work, but they will also be able to develop their own jobs and train others “Hendrina Doroba, the Bank’s Manager for Education and Skills Development, stated as much.
“When I received the selection email, I felt thrilled and above all proud,” said Carelle Laetitia, one of the Digital Ambassadors. I understand how difficult it was to get chosen from among hundreds of outstanding young people. I wish to have a strong network and good digital abilities to share with my community.”
The Bank has invested $1.64 billion in programs to prepare students for professions in science, technology, and innovation over the years. The Digital Ambassadors Program complements the Skills for Employability and Productivity in Africa initiative, and both contribute to one of the Bank’s five priorities: increasing the quality of life for Africans.