1,700 youth in Garissa, Turkana to get digital skills training

Garissa and Turkana in Kenya are set to benefit from a new digital skills program that will provide training in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data analytics to 1,700 young individuals from refugee and host communities. The 25-week program, implemented by Power Learn Project, the International Labour Organization, Microsoft, and the Garissa County Government, is supported by the Netherlands Government through the PROSPECTS Partnership.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama Adam encouraged the enrolled youths to work diligently and strive to become part of the digital economy. He emphasized that as a county, they recognize the future of work is increasingly digital and that young people must have access to the necessary skills and opportunities to participate.

Out of the 1,000 applications received in Garissa, over 700 young people have already enrolled, with women making up 35% of the applicants. Sixteen of the program's 37 digital hubs in both counties have already begun training sessions.

Microsoft is providing up to 1,000 certification vouchers for courses such as Azure Fundamentals, Azure AI Fundamentals, Power BI Data Analyst, and Microsoft 365 Fundamentals. Power Learn Project Co-Founder and Executive Director Mumbi Ndung’u stated that the program aims to help young people access digital jobs and opportunities, addressing the imbalance in access to such opportunities based on geography or circumstances.

ILO Kenya Chief Technical Advisor Caroline Njuki highlighted that digital transformation is reshaping labor markets faster than policies can keep pace. For refugee-hosting communities, the risk of being left behind is not being addressed but is instead leading to their complete exclusion from the opportunities defining economic participation.