KCB eyes education and technology to empower youth

It was the noted Harvard University President Derek Bok who famously quipped that, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!" With such a quip in mind, and mindful of the dangers of ignorance, KCB Group, has been assertive in ensuring education, especially for youthful learners, is a top priority. The Group has mooted a secondary school scholarship program which has seen 99 per cent of all those enrolled complete successfully. Since the program began, 84 per cent of the students have also transitioned to university across all 537 secondary schools engaged. KCB Group, through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm (KCB Foundation), has so far awarded 5,752 scholarships, impacting over 7000 households; 63 per cent being beneficiaries from vulnerable backgrounds. "Our programs are a sign of commitment to sustainable development to alleviate poverty and enhance development," said Mendi Njonjo, the KCB Foundation Director. The majority of our beneficiaries are the vulnerable in society for example gender-based violence survivors, and early marriage escapees." Ms Njonjo said the Group aims to uplift families and communities through education. "Education is a perfect tunnel through which to escape poverty; it is a game changer in society," she said. Consequently, education is not the only platform the Group has sought change. Enterprise development is another forum. Through this forum, the Group has powered the creation of 179,822 jobs and trained 40,063 youth. The Group has also disbursed Sh267 million in loans to support enterprises while issuing 2,225 business startup kits to support business development among youth. As the world celebrates International Education Day today, KCB wants stakeholders to collaborate more in developing quality education that creates lifelong opportunities for all. Through this collaboration, students can be skilled in new technology tools, especially in the field of Information Technology which can prepare them fully for the job market. "The industry has noted gaps in our training that have resulted in skill mismatch, as a result, our graduates are not ready for the job market, necessitating employers to allocate resources to retrain and reskill new employees," Ms Njonjo noted. She said in the interview that to cope with a rapidly changing labour market, workers need to benefit from lifelong learning and career development. "We chose to intervene through our KCB 2Jiajiri initiative and train program participants on skills that benefit them and serve the needs of the modern market environment," she said. The advent of Industry 4.0 is revolutionising the way companies produce, innovate and distribute their products. Manufacturers are integrating new technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and analytics, AI and machine learning into their manufacturing and operations. To be up to date with industry trends, Njonjo said AI has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education today. However, she cautions that rapid technological developments inevitably bring multiple risks and challenges, which can outpace policy and regulatory frameworks. "Many education systems struggle to address the growing digital skills gap, crucial for students' employability and ethical tech use. Bridging this gap is imperative to cultivate an AI-ready workforce," she explained. "Integrating AI into education, through traditional or innovative methods is key to shaping tomorrow's workforce." She noted: "Customisable interfaces emerge as invaluable assets, particularly benefiting diverse students such as those with physical disabilities." While rallying the private sector to collaborate in funding education, Njonjo said resources allocated towards AI is imperative.

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