The ICT Authority has commenced a five-day training of trainers (TOT) for the Citizen Digital Skills Program.
The TOT workshop that kicked off on Monday 15 January 2024 will equip the trainers with the necessary skills and knowledge required to drive the country’s citizen digital skills program which seeks to train five million citizens in one year and 20 million citizens by 2032.
All citizens are eligible for the program which has four curricula namely; Foundational Digital Skills, Basic Digital Skills, Intermediate Digital Skills, and Advanced Digital Skills. You can register for the courses is ongoing through: https://www.smartacademy.go.ke/.
The Government of Kenya, through the ICT Authority, has taken significant strides in ensuring that citizens are trained on digital skills to align with the efforts on universal broadband connectivity, establishing free Wi-Fi hotspots, and building digital hubs nationwide.
The ongoing efforts, including the acceleration of digital hubs in all wards, are geared towards bridging the digital divide and making all government services accessible online.
Speaking during the event, Stanley Kamanguya, CEO, of ICT Authority said, “Our commitment to enhance government service delivery through digitization and automation and make government services accessible online is on course. The ICT Authority in collaboration with both the Public and Private sectors are working to accelerate the automation process and to build resilience on the digital infrastructure to safeguard our growth.”
In August last year, the stakeholders met in a workshop meeting held in Nairobi where they formulated the Digital Skills curricula. During the same year, the ICT Authority invited eligible organizations to express their interest in being part of the training consortium for the program.
On her part, Zilpher Owiti, Director, of Partnerships, Innovation and Capacity Development, ICT Authority, noted that “Many of our citizens are missing out on many opportunities within the digital economy which is creating employment for millions of people across the world. We would like our citizens to take part in this program and get the opportunities as they arise.”
The Digital Skills Program Training of Trainers program underscores the commitment to staying ahead in the digital age and equipping a workforce capable of navigating its complexities. Participants will engage with experts, participate in hands-on sessions, and collaborate with peers to enhance training capabilities, fostering a culture of continuous learning.
The stakeholders called upon citizens to take advantage of the ICT digital skills training opportunities being rolled out by the ICT Authority in collaboration with other partners to unlock opportunities within the digital space and further boost the digital economy.
The training is being undertaken in partnership with the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme.
This training is expressed in the Kenya National Digital Master Plan(2022-32) under the digital skills Pillar which proposes the building of the digital literacy capacity building of all citizens starting with 20 million of them who urgently require digital skills in their businesses and work.
Citizen Digital Skills Program: Kenyan Context
The current global political climate seems the most appropriate to enhance the acquisition of digital literacy and digital skills in the country. There is an immense need to enrich the country with infrastructure and resources (including personnel) to drive the growth and development of the digital economy.
In the recent past, the Ministry of ICT and its partners have proposed several policy recommendations and actions that seek to mainstream digital skills, promote digital and transversal skills in education curricula, and facilitate digital skills development across all sectors of the economy. Similarly, there is a need for increased political goodwill to correspond with our overall digital transformation strategy – whose success is partly hinged on the private.
Kenya’s digital economy remains one of the most promising across the continent.
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