UNESCO and Huawei Launched a White Paper on ICT Talent Cultivation

The digital economy is increasingly becoming a key driver in the global economy. It is projected that by 2026, it will account for 25 % of the global Gross Domestic Product, up from 15.5 % in 2016. Kenya is amongst the few countries in Africa that are taking an early lead to tap the benefits of digital technologies for economic growth. The digital economy requires new sets of skills and knowledge, which many countries including Kenya, are deficient in. With a projected rise in the demand for digital skills, concerted efforts are needed to build the human resource base in digital literacy.

In this context, UNESCO collaborated with Huawei to develop a White Paper on ICT Talent Cultivation for Kenya's Digital Economy, with the objective of understanding the ICT landscape of Kenya and defining the entry points for investments, human skills development and policy actions.

The launch of the White Paper was held at the Serena Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya on 25 November 2021. The event was officiated by Hon. Joseph Mucheru, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs; Prof. Stephen Kiama, Vice Chancellor, University of Nairobi; Ms. Fiona Pan, Deputy CEO Huawei-Kenya; Mr. Ephraim Munene, Assistant Director for Technical Education, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; and Mr. Samuel Partey, Programme Specialist, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa.

Kenyan's youth are the most critical resource the country has and will ever have in the foreseeable future. Therefore, investing in them through provision of relevant skills and training is of utmost importance. As they continue to face challenges and risks largely attributed to skills gaps, it is important for both the government, academia and the private sector to devise relevant programs that directly address the challenges they face with urgency.

Hon. Joseph Mucheru, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs

In presenting the keynote address for the launch, Hon. Joseph Mucheru mentioned that: Kenyan's youth are the most critical resource the country has and will ever have in the foreseeable future. Therefore, investing in them through provision of relevant skills and training is of utmost importance. As they continue to face challenges and risks largely attributed to skills gaps, it is important for both the government, academia and the private sector to devise relevant programs that directly address the challenges they face with urgency.

The launching ceremony was followed by a panel discussion among representatives from government, UNESCO, academia, and the private sector to discuss ICT capacity building from different perspectives. The panelists recommended the need to (1) have ICT taught at all school levels; (2) have a database of ICT personnels in Kenya; (3) have a clear definition of ICT skill sets required for professional training; (4) move beyond the basic Microsoft office packages to including advance ICT training e.g. data science at the basic level; and (5) promote government-academia-industry collaboration to drive investments and ICT skills development.