Skip to main content

THE AJIRA ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAM


By Arnold Makumba
The Ministry of ICT with funding from the Rockefeller Foundation partnered to address the growing tide of unemployment amongst the youth in Kenya through the provision of online work training. Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) was selected as the implementing partner who engaged the African Center for Women and ICT (ACWICT) as the lead trainers for the one-month long program.
The program targets to train at least 10, 000 youth in the country by equipping them with skills to pursue online work.  

 To achieve this number the Ministry opted to have the training run 
simultaneously in five centers in the country.  The centers selected are Nairobi- Kenyatta University main campus, Mombasa- Kenyatta University, Mombasa Campus, Meru – The Cooperative University of Kenya, Nakuru—Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) Main Campus and Kisumu-Tom Mboya Labor College. This is a one-week residential training that runs for the whole month of June 2017. 

The program is now in its fourth week and it's greatly successful despite the fact that many youths couldn't all be enrolled due to a large number of applicants for limited slots. The trainees are hosted in the respective centers where they are provided with food and accommodation. Each day classes commence at 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and may extend depending on the module being covered on a particular day.

The trainers from ACWICT are very knowledgeable and have an excellent mode of delivery that is both practical and realistic taking cognizance of the trainee's needs. Modules being covered include an introduction to online work, skills, and attributes for online workers, platforms for online work, signing up and bidding for work, entrepreneurship, financial management, and digital marketing skills. On completion of the one-week training, the trainees are offered a one-month mentorship program aimed at supporting the trainee now a newbie, to successfully transition onto the online work platform thus gaining income and improving on the acquired skills.

As it enters its homestretch it's my expectation that the designers of the program will provide adequate support to the trainees to the point that they are able to ride solo on the various platforms. The negativity that had been raised concerning this venture will only be put to rest through this mentorship once it succeeds in establishing the trainees in their various choice of job categories.

Nevertheless, this is an excellent idea if well executed it will address the dire unemployment issue in the country.  Many thanks and appreciation to the Rockefeller Foundation, the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance for such an excellent partnership that has brought this venture thus far. We look forward to many more opportunities that will empower the youth and set them on the path of success.
Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CO-EXISTENCE IN 2017

As we approach the homestretch in this election cycle, emotions are high; politicians are running all over seeking votes. In all this, the voter is the target- being wooed to make a choice. Each side is busy portraying the other as being ineffective and clueless. Why do you support whomever it is you're supporting? Do you have to kill or destroy property that belongs to someone else just because he or she has a different opinion? What really drives you? If you strongly believe your candidate or party is best suited for a particular position why can't you find a civilised way of convincing those who have divergent opinions to see things your way? Let us take a moment and look back to where we have come from.  In 2007 the same politicians who are traversing the nation are the very one who came to us seeking our votes to put them into office. Most of them were in different camps, but today some have crossed over to the opponent of that day's side. The current deputy pre...
Post a Comment
Read more

STAND UP TO THE POLITICAL CLASS

Before you go out to protest, kill someone or destroy property- ask yourself why you are doing what you intend to do. What is your end game? Is your intention to escalate the current crisis or offer a solution? What crime has someone of a different tribe, gender or nationality done to you? Does destroying someone's property make you satisfied? Does killing someone earn you accolades?   This is our country. The politicians you are fighting for or those inciting you are doing their job-politicking. You have a responsibility first to yourself, to your family and the society. Are you, by your actions serving any of these? Fight the fight but do it in the right way. If you don't like someone or something, simply avoid it or them. Mind your own business. Condemn the wrong, and the injustice, speak about it. Write a blog, call a rally and express yourself. Do something but don't infringe on other people’s rights as stipulated in the Bill of Rights. Refuse to be provoked, be fi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Love, Technology and Rationale

As a woman, you desire to eventually settle down and raise a family with that dream guy. Career demands and other commitments make this a mirage. You want to be the perfect woman, who is established, successful and confident. In your early twenties, men literally chased after you but because you had a goal, you simply brushed them off. They, on the other hand, misunderstood you and perused you even harder. As expected, they eventually gave up. You spent all your time in achieving personal success and viola at thirty-something, you are the envy of your colleagues and friends because of your achievements in the corporate world. A senior managerial position, a hefty paycheck coupled with bonuses, trips to foreign countries, an MBA and currently pursuing you Ph.D. to boot. I mean, you have figuratively and literally, arrived as they say. Despite all this success and the accolades, you have collected; deep down, there is this yearning, the hunger, and thirst for a family. Herein la...
Post a Comment
Read more