IOE and Microsoft partner to scale up digital skills in 4 LDC countries

The global employer community joins with Microsoft to train 20,000 people, in four African least developed countries, in digital and entrepreneurial skills.

The International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and its network of 150 employer and business organisations are pleased to announce a new partnership with Microsoft for a three-year pilot programme to train and equip young people, women and entrepreneurs from four African countries – the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Senegal and Uganda – with practical twenty-first century digital and business skills.

The need for digital skills is set to rise drastically across the continent. The International Finance Corporation estimates 230 million jobs in Africa will require basic digital skills by 2030. There is widespread agreement that skilling initiatives are vital to the continent’s economic growth. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that GDP for the continent could grow by $500 billion per year for 30 years if Sub-Saharan Africa invests in its human capital.

The IOE-Microsoft partnership will upskill 20,000 participants with digital and entrepreneurship skills to strengthen their employability or pursue income-generating activities. Beyond the training component, the project will also provide support to candidates in their job searches or entrepreneurship initiatives.

A talented workforce is a prerequisite for employers to offer jobs and expand economic growth. Employers and businesses small and large in the four selected countries welcome this initiative to provide people often excluded from the digital landscape with opportunities to create a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.