Stanbic Kenya Foundation, American Tower Corporation and Microsoft have partnered to bridge the digital skills gap and among women, youth and small businesses. The move is aimed at sustaining growth among the target groups in a highly digitized world and is geared towards creating jobs and enterprise development.
The Future Ni Digital program is implemented through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, VTCs, and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) across various counties in the country. It leverages local learning and community ecosystems to ensure youth and women gain essential digital skills, enabling them to participate more effectively in the global economy.
Stanbic Kenya Foundation Head Pauline Mbayah emphasized the need to take advantage of the digital economy by empowering communities to leverage available opportunities.
“According to statistics by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Kenya has a youthful population with over 76% aged 35 years and below. Many of them are not gainfully employed. Through www.futurenidigital.org they can acquire proficiency skills that will enable them to take advantage of the digital economy. By working with partners like Microsoft and American Tower, we aim to bridge the digital divide and empower communities to competitively participate in the economy. So far, we have reached over 230,000 youth, women, and small businesses through digital skills and entrepreneurship training with the tools and skills they need to succeed,” said Ms Mbayah
Since its launch, the program has already delivered transformative results. There has been 237,102 trainees across the country; with several earning Microsoft certifications. Recent graduations in Kakamega, Kisumu, Busia, Kisii, Taita Taveta, Kilifi and Kwale celebrated the achievements of trainees many of whom shared inspiring testimonials about how the training has enhanced their ability to access government services, grow their businesses, and seize global opportunities.
The Future Ni Digital initiative aligns with the Kenyan government’s digital transformation agenda on positioning communities to drive economic growth from the grassroots.
Stanbic Kenya Foundation partnership with American Tower has been in place since 2024. It is geared towards implementing the Digital Skilling Program in select counties across the country.
The collaborative initiative focuses on equipping TVET institutions, VTCs and CBOs with the necessary infrastructure for digital skills development and job creation in the digital economy.
American Tower provides user and networking devices for Digital Communities, while Stanbic Kenya Foundation facilitates training content and digital skills instruction, leveraging Microsoft’s resources for both in-person and online training.
In January 2021, Stanbic Kenya Foundation and Microsoft Corporation joined forces to implement the Digital Skills Program. The program aligns with Stanbic Foundation and American Tower’s strategic pillars on; promoting digital skilling, education, and economic empowerment, and aims to catalyze job creation in the digital sector.
ATC Kenya is a subsidiary of American Tower Corporation. American Tower is a leading independent owner, operator, and developer of communications real estate, with a global portfolio exceeding 150,000 sites and a highly interconnected network of data centers in the United States.
“American Tower is committed to building a more connected Kenya. This partnership ensures that trainers and trainees in TVET institutions have access to state-of-the-art devices, high-speed internet connectivity and digital learning tools. Through our Digital Communities initiative, we are dedicated to fostering a digital inclusive society,” said George Odenyo, CEO of ATC Kenya.
Headquartered in Boston, USA, American Tower offers solutions and services to deploy and support wireless networks in the United States, Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Uganda, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, France, Germany and Spain.
As an independent owner, operator, and developer of wireless communications infrastructure, ATC Kenya has 4000+ telecommunications sites across all forty-seven (47) counties helping mobile network operators and other telecommunication providers confidently deliver communications connectivity to consumers in Kenya
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