The Africa Development Centre (ADC), Microsoft’s premier engineering arm, has partnered with Kenyan universities to review their curriculums in an effort to ramp up its digital skilling efforts in the country. As part of the initiative, the ADC has started by collaborating with the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to review its Computer Science degree programme. The curriculum review programme will also be extended to other technical universities that have expressed interest.
This initiative aligns with the ADC’s larger goal to contribute to the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa, which aims to harness digital technologies and innovation to transform African societies and economies by 2030. The ADC is also working towards addressing the identified skill gaps in software engineering students, particularly in software engineering fundamentals, during technical interviews. The curriculum review partnership is in line with the Kenyan government’s Digital Superhighway plan to make the country a hub for digital workforce.
Irene Githinji, the ADC’s Student & Education Engagement Program Manager, stated that the ADC is looking to improve tech-based curricula within local institutions of higher learning to bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace. Technology companies are constantly on the lookout for new talent, but they struggle to hire directly from universities as students lack the necessary application skills in software engineering fundamentals. The updated curriculum, with industry input, will help students gain hands-on tech skills that will be useful throughout their tech careers.
Dr. Michael Kimwele, Director of the School of Computing and Information Technology at JKUAT, mentioned that the institution’s past collaboration with Microsoft has helped to develop potential career pathways for students and access more teaching resources. The collaboration has also exposed students to real-time industry jobs, as many students involved in incubator projects are often offered roles within the company after graduation.
The Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa aims to provide basic knowledge and skills in digital security and privacy to 100 million Africans per year by 2021 and 300 million per year by 2025 through a massive online e-skills development program. The ADC is working closely with the government and the private sector to expand access to digital skills training across Africa. Some of the initiatives include coding classes for young children, teaching basic computer skills to underprivileged individuals, and highly technical learning opportunities such as the Game Of Learners hackathon, which helps university students fine-tune their skills by building real-world solutions under the supervision of industry professionals.
Githinji emphasized the need to refine the quality of technology education in universities in order to better prepare students for a digitally enabled future. The ADC’s collaboration with JKUAT and other universities is a step in the right direction towards creating a workforce that is equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in a rapidly changing digital world.
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