African Development Bank's Coding for Employment Program

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The African Development Bank's Coding for Employment Program is a training initiative aimed at expanding digital skills among African youth, particularly in rural communities.
What are the main aims and objectives?

At its core, the program seeks to empower African youth, particularly those in rural communities, with essential digital skills to enhance their employability and competitiveness in the modern job market. The program aims to bridge the digital divide by providing free technical courses in areas such as web development, digital marketing, data science, and design, along with crucial soft skills like critical thinking and project management. A primary objective is to create a significant impact on job creation, with ambitious targets of generating over 9 million jobs and reaching 32 million youth and women across Africa. The program also aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the digital economy, contributing to the African Development Bank's broader strategic goal of creating 25 million jobs by 2025. By focusing on youth aged 15-35 who are unemployed or underemployed, with a target of at least 50% women participation, the program seeks to address gender disparities in the tech sector.

How does the program work?

The African Development Bank's Coding for Employment Program is a comprehensive initiative designed to equip African youth with digital skills and create job opportunities in the technology sector. The program works through several key mechanisms:

Firstly, it offers free technical courses both online and through in-person classes. These courses cover a range of in-demand digital skills such as web development, digital marketing, data science, and design. The program also includes training in essential soft skills like critical thinking, project management, and communication. This comprehensive curriculum aims to prepare participants for the modern job market and foster innovation.

A crucial aspect of the program is its digital ambassador initiative. The Bank plans to train over 500 digital ambassadors who will lead peer-to-peer training, especially in rural communities with limited internet connectivity. These ambassadors receive an intensive three-month training program and are then provided with ICT toolkits and resources to train others in their local communities. This model allows the program to reach more youth and provide a personalized learning experience.

The program operates through partnerships with major tech companies and organizations. For instance, it collaborates with Microsoft Philanthropies for training digital ambassadors, and partners with Facebook for implementation in various countries. These partnerships help to ensure that the training aligns with industry needs and standards.

To expand its reach, the program has launched a digital training platform in partnership with Microsoft, accessible across 54 African countries. This platform is designed to be mobile-friendly and usable even in areas with low internet connectivity, making digital skills training more accessible to a wider audience.

The Coding for Employment Program also focuses on creating direct links between graduates and ICT employers, aiming to bridge the gap between skills acquisition and job placement. It plans to establish 130 centers of excellence across the continent over a 10-year period, creating a sustainable ecosystem for digital skills development and job creation.

What is the overall cost?

There is currently no available information on the overall cost of running the program. 

How was it implemented?

The program was launched in 2018 as part of the African Development Bank's broader Jobs for Youth in Africa (JfYA) strategy for 2016-2025 12. This strategy aims to equip over 50 million youth with employable skills and create 25 million jobs in various sectors, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The Coding for Employment Program specifically focuses on the ICT pillar of this strategy.

The African Development Bank partnered with several major technology companies and organizations to create and implement the program. Key partners include The Rockefeller Foundation, Microsoft, and Facebook 13. These partnerships were crucial in providing the necessary resources, expertise, and technology infrastructure to support the program's objectives.

The program was officially launched during the African Innovation Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. Initially, the Coding for Employment Program was piloted in five countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire. This pilot phase allowed the African Development Bank and its partners to test the program's effectiveness and make necessary adjustments before expanding to other countries.

What impact has been measured?

The program can point towards several achievement:

  • The program has reached a milestone of over 130,000 enrolments among young people across Africa on its eLearning and Digital Nigeria platforms.
  • More than 23,000 youth have completed the program's month-long courses since its launch in 2018.
  • The program has expanded its reach across the continent. It was initially piloted in five countries (Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire) and now has a digital training platform accessible across 54 African countries

 

 

CURATED BY

Tom Hancock

Research Associate
Global Entrepreneurship Network
United Kingdom