The International Labour Organization – ILO is launching a new digital skills and jobs programme that supports refugee and host community youth in Kenya to acquire relevant technology skills and employment opportunities.
The Government of the Netherlands will support the programme through the PROSPECTS Partnership, with Power Learn Project Africa, Microsoft and the Turkana County Government partnering to deliver it.
Winnie Karanu, AI Skills Director, Microsoft Elevate, said digital skills are key to inclusive growth, but access remains uneven in underserved communities. She said the initiative will help bridge the gap by linking learners to training, globally recognised certification, and real employment pathways, while supporting Microsoft’s wider commitment to expanding digital and AI skills in Kenya.
ILO & Microsoft Will Train Over 1,700 Young People
Power Learn Project will train 1,700 learners in Turkana and Garissa counties over 25 weeks through a blended learning approach. The organisation will deliver the training in collaboration with local digital hubs, community groups, refugee-led organisations, and local partners.
There will also be up to 1,000 opportunities for learners to obtain recognised qualifications within areas of relevance to the current job market, through Microsoft certification vouchers.
There will be 2 tracks for the ILO Course. The intermediate track will emphasize computer and work-related skills. The advanced track will include topics like cloud computing, AI and data analysis and will provide references to Microsoft certification tracks.
Kenya’s digital economy is a major driver of growth. Though many young people still lack awareness of the skills they need to take part in it. At the same time, employers continue to face a skills mismatch as available talent does not fully meet the needs of rapidly evolving technical roles.
From Skills to Work
The ILO programme is timely, as over one million young Kenyans join the labour market every year, lacking formal digital skills. Lack of training and employment opportunities may be even more difficult for young refugees in countries of origin.
The programme aims to make training more accessible to learners. It will enable more people to access the digital economy, ILO said.
Graduates will be supported to access employment, entrepreneurship, work from home etc. This will involve preparing students for the workforce and engaging with employers. In addition to partnering with other members of the broader digital skills ecosystem.
