digital skills - The African Mirror

Jul

2023

From Learning to Earning: Uncovering new opportunities using digital skills

"DIGITAL learning has given me everything I ever wanted in life… I am a graphic designer, a web developer, and a programming expert," proudly declares Elvis Warutumu, a Nairobi-based digital creator. Warutumu, in his mid-20s, not only tutors digitally but also mentors over 5000 digital learners directly enrolled in his courses. "With my procurement degree, it would have been almost impossible to secure solid employment in Kenya… But hours of learning on different platforms have given me more than just a job," Warutumu explains. As the founder of Terra Creations, a creative agency, and a personal website, the young creative…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Boosting connectivity in African universities: a lofty ideal, but doable

EDUCATION

CONNECTING African universities to high-speed internet can help drive the development of digital skills and capabilities. This would also benefit secondary schools and technical and vocational colleges. WILLIE TAFADZWA CHINYAMURINDI, Professor, University of Fort Hare A strong argument has been made, that improving connectivity should be viewed as a priority infrastructure investment. The World Bank published a report last year pointing out the drawbacks of poor connectivity. It noted that the lack of affordable and high-speed broadband for African universities was the main barrier to the use of technology in education and research. And it prevented African faculty and students…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Tech-savvy women could beat COVID-19 job blues in the Arab world

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

BAN BARKAWI AS COVID-19 swells the ranks of unemployed women in the Arab world, surging demand for digital skills could help many of them find work in a region where only one in four women has a job. The pandemic has taken an especially heavy toll on retail, tourism and hospitality jobs traditionally held by women, but experts say those able to retrain could tap into growth areas like digital marketing, e-commerce and online customer support. "This is a tremendous opportunity. These are areas where you can reskill someone relatively quickly," said Jasmine di Florio, senior vice president at Education…