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It is now clear that new technologies and innovations are here to drastically change how we live, work and relate with one another.

Unlike in the 1900s when technologies took months or even years to be developed, today, the rate of technological advancement is happening rapidly.

Technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), is disrupting the way business is being done, robotics is taking over manufacturing while artificial intelligence is revolutionising our ways of interactions.

While these developments are happening, the digital divide continues to grow. The foundational and intermediate digital skills gap – especially in Africa – is at a risk of widening, driven by the slow pace of adoption compared to the global pace of innovations.

Africa increasingly requires digital literacy across all sectors.  Digital skills refer to the ability to use technology effectively and efficiently for development.

 According to Boston Consulting Group’s Publication of 2022 on Africa’s Opportunity in Digital Skills, only 11 per cent of  tertiary education graduates have formal digital training, yet the continent will require 650 million workers with digital skills by 2030.

Further, information from the BCG Publication indicate that 87 per cent of African business leaders still identify digital skills as a priority area for further investment. Therefore, access to digital skills for our young people is now becoming increasingly indispensable for many reasons.

First, digital skills continue to stand out as a catalyst of productivity. In many industries, businesses are leveraging technology and innovation to harness their productivity and competitiveness, a move that has a major impact on jobs. Many job creators and employers are now seeking human resource with digital skills across all sectors, as a result digital literally is becoming a prerequisite, rather than an option. 

Secondly, the global Covid-19 pandemic – demonstrated how vital digital literally is. Economies were sustained by technology at a time when human to human interactions were almost grinding to a halt.

Many operations that shifted to an online approaches during the pandemic have retained these channels, bringing about a new norm.

Remote working has enabled people to work while in different parts of the world. A 2019 AT& T Business Study on the future of work indicate that while the fully remote workplace model is expected to take a dramatic decline from 2021 (56 per cent) to 2024 (19 per cent), the hybrid model is projected to grow from 42 per cent (2021) to 81 per cent (2024). 

This calls for the youth to be well versed with digital skills to prepare them for the new way of working and new models of operations.

Third, digital skills have showcased that they can be new avenues of driving innovation. With digital skills, youth can access or create jobs. These fields require digital skills to be a driving force of transformation which in turn will offer immense prospects for restructuring the economy to unlock more opportunities.

The government has through the Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy launched a programme to position Kenya as a Tech Talent hub by launching Jitume Digital Enablement Programme aimed at enabling a million youths to access digital jobs in the next three to five years.

The programme has set out to deliver 23,000 Virtual Desktop Infrastructure in 200 Centres across the country to enable capacity building and job linkages to the youth. From these centres, which will be in TVETS and Community ICT spaces, the youth will be facilitated to access to digital skills and online job opportunities available all over the world.

It will also enable the youth to acquire the first incomes to acquire devices from which they can transition to working anywhere, enabled by technology.

Further, the programme will enable the development of a strong and vibrant innovation ecosystem driven by strategic investments by the government such as Konza Technopolis.

The increased availability of trained, certified youth with cutting edge digital skills will offer more human resource, enable digital transformation of many corporations and position  Kenya as an attractive investment destination for  ICT companies seeking entryway into Africa.

—The writer is the acting CEO of Konza Technopolis Development Authority