By the Microsoft News Center
Microsoft 4Afrika, Ethiopia’s EdTech company, and talent marketplace Gebeya and the Technology and Innovation Institute teamed up recently to launch the first virtual SkillsLab in Ethiopia.
The SkillsLab program develops the digital skills, coding capabilities, and workplace readiness of young university graduates. The program will provide apprenticeship-based training to 200 African software engineers over six months. The apprentices have priority access to jobs through the Microsoft Partner Network.
“This SkillsLab will ensure career readiness for apprentices by providing them with not only DevOps and Data Science skills, but also critical thinking, collaboration and communication, and creative skills” -Sandokan Debebe, Director General, Technology and Innovation Institute.
Over the last seven years, the 4Afrika initiative has produced 2,073 graduates from 19 SkillsLabs across the continent, with an 85% employment rate achieved within three months of graduating. The initiative has been recognized by the International Finance Corporation as a best practice example of developing skills in sub-Saharan Africa.