The African Development Bank has adduced reasons it decided to open the Information and Communications Technology Centre of Excellence at the United States International University-Africa in Nairobi for the second Coding for Employment Program.
The bank said the program is opened in collaboration with its growing partnerships with higher education and technical and vocational education and training institutions to boost youth digital skills with the ultimate aim to reach over 1,800 Kenyan youth through the two centers.
At the opening of the centre, representatives from Kenya’s Office of the President joined officials from United States International University-Africa and the African Development Bank Group for the opening ceremony held recently.
Speaking at the unveiling of the centre, Hendrina Doroba, the Bank’s Division Manager for Education and Skills Development, said: “This Center of Excellence is just one example of the Bank’s commitment to supporting the next generation of African leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators. By working together to provide young people with the tools and resources they need to succeed, we are all helping to create a more prosperous and inclusive future for all.”
Doroba, who spoke on behalf of the Bank’s Director General for Eastern Africa, Nnenna Nwabufo, added that the future will be shaped by technology, and it is the bank’s responsibility to prepare young people for the challenges that lie ahead.
The African Development Bank’s Coding for Employment program is developing the capacity of African youth by equipping them with practical 21st-century skills, as well as employability and entrepreneurship skills, to increase their competitiveness in local and global labor markets. The program is funded through a partnership between the Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Technical partners Junior Achievement Kenya and Microsoft joined the Bank and Rockefeller Foundation collaboration to establish this second center in Kenya. These centers are open to youth aged 15 – 35 who have enrolled in the Coding for Employment program, and who do not qualify or have the means to attend traditional university programs. Coding for Employment and its partners aim to reach over 1,800 Kenyan youth through the two centers.
“The United States International University-Africa is excited to partner with the African Development Bank in this initiative because it perfectly aligns with the University’s strategic plan that aims to educate our young people for complex global challenges and be the changemakers in Africa,” said the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Margee Ensign.
Coding for Employment program beneficiaries has access to demand-driven digital skills, entrepreneurship, and soft skills curricula to boost their employability in information and communications technology or tech-enabled sectors. The university center is equipped with 40 computers, printers, desks, ergonomic office chairs, an equipped conference room and projectors.
