Microsoft action plan boosts access to ICT

By Michael Ouma

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in collaboration with Microsoft, has developed the country’s Youth and ICT Action plan which aims to boost capacity and empower them economically.

Speaking during the launch of the electronic version of the Action Plan recently, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Major (Rtd) Kinuthia Murugu said the plan aims to address various points as relates to youth and ICTs.

These include access to the technologies, skills development, which would lead to effective use of ICTs and training. The other key focus area of the action, said Murugu, is application of the acquired skills in order to create employment opportunities and expand economic initiatives.

Noting that ICT is one of the key pillars of the ministry’s strategies, Murugu said the ministry aims to create 300,000 new jobs every year for the next four years for the country’s youth in the ICT sector.

goal achievement

"There’s need to bring ICT to the youth to enable them realise their goals," said the PS, adding that: "It’s the intention of the ministry to establish a youth empowerment centre in each of Kenya’s constituencies to offer ICT training to the youth," he said.

The centres would later be transformed into Digital Villages when the project is launched.

The PS added that the ministry’s partnership with the computer software manufacturer has also lead to the development of a Digital Literacy Curriculum which is to be offered to youth training centres and polytechnics across the country to ensure standardisation of training through a curriculum that is Microsoft-certified. The curriculum, said the PS, would initially be used for ICT training of youth in 750 youth polytechnics in the country.

Dr Akhtar Badshah, Microsoft Community Affairs senior global director, said the Digital Literacy Curriculum, which has been localised and translated into multiple languages, is currently used in about 26 countries. He said the curriculum is also available to non-commercial institutions which use it to empower the local population. On concerns about imported software not being relevant and compatible with the country’s industry needs, Dr Badshah said that Microsoft, "would support the local software industry to develop products that are relevant to the country’s needs."

partnership

Other activities and initiatives that have resulted from the partnership between the ministry and Microsoft include support to the Informal Sector Business Institute, a grass root business organisation sponsored by Strathmore Educational Trust to provide ICT training. The institute has up to date trained about 400 students.

The ministry of youth and the software maker are also working on how to set up computer refurbishment centres within the training institutions especially in National Youth Service training units. This would see Microsoft provide software and accreditation for the centres.

Regarding the refurbishment centres, Murugu said the initiative would have students acquiring used and old computers, refurbish them before the machines are distributed to youth empowerment centres after being fitted with genuine Microsoft software.

INITIATIVE

The PS also added that the ICT initiatives and youth centres would be boosted by the Government’s investment in both the under sea and terrestrial cable projects, in reference to TEAMS and EASSy fibre optic cable projects.

The ministry and Microsoft are also exploring modalities of setting up ICT Academies across the country to further enhance the ICT capacity of the country’s youth.