On 14 June 2024, the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) jointly launched two significant initiatives, the “Innovators Sprint Up Programme” and the “Digital Skills Training Programme", under the East African Community Digital Skills for an Innovative East African Industry (dSkills@EA) programme. These initiatives aim to address the current digital skills gap in the region and support young innovators to scale up from ideation to commercialization.
The Innovators Sprint Up Programme marks the beginning of efforts to unlock the potential of young innovators across the EAC Partner States. Over 210 young innovators and entrepreneurs from universities will receive mentorship, training, and support to establish sustainable business models. They will gain access to knowledge essential for operating and scaling their start-ups.
Additionally, the digital skills training programme targets over 500 university staff, unemployed graduates, and employees from the business community. This initiative aims to bridge the digital skills gap in an evolving digital landscape, enhancing the quality of digital skills delivery, improving employability, and bolstering business competitiveness.
Speaking at the launch, David Roos, the dSkills@EA Programme Manager, noted, “We are taking bold steps towards fostering youth entrepreneurship and digital skills development. These initiatives follow successful programmes in 2022, where over 1000 youths were mentored in innovation best practices and 500 university staff and business employees received digital skills training tailored to their fields and businesses across the EAC Partner States. These efforts reflect the German government and EAC’s joint commitment to building innovation and digital skills capacity for the region's digital transformation.”
Prof. Idris Rai, Deputy Executive Secretary of IUCEA, highlighted the mismatch between university expansion and shrinking job availability in the market. He emphasised the need for universities to promote innovation and support venture building among graduates through collaborative strategies with industries.
John Matogo, International Business Machines (IBM) Corporate Social Responsibility Leader for the Middle East and Africa, who attended the event, underscored the importance of aligning academia with industry to accelerate innovation.
The Innovators Sprint programme offers substantial benefits, including an eight-week capacity development programme and a one-week regional study tour across selected EAC Partner States. Participants will gain access to a network of mentors, coaches, and successful entrepreneurs, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and culture.
The dSkills@EA project is an initiative of the EAC and German Development Cooperation aimed at strengthening the employment and innovation-related digital skills of young people in the region.
Find out more about the dSkill@EA programme here.
