The International Youth Foundation (IYF) has announced a new partnership with Microsoft to enhance sustainable youth employment opportunities in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania.   Modelled on IYF’s successful umbrella program, entra 21, the new Youth Empowerment Program aims to improve the employability prospects of disadvantaged African youth, ages 16-35, through targeted high quality Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and other skills training. According to Orlando Ayala, senior vice president of the Microsoft Emerging Segments Market Development Group, “To enable sustained economic growth, it is imperative to accelerate skills development and help employers find qualified candidates. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing an untenable situation as one-in-five young people are unemployed.”

 

Supported by a $1 million grant, in combination with technology and training expertise from Microsoft, the program aims to develop tailor-made solutions to identified needs in local markets and combine ICT training with life-skills and entrepreneurship training that match the real-world demand of local markets. Participants will also receive training in general employability skills, such as teamwork, conflict resolution and communication. The implementation of the Youth Empowerment Program, which in its initial stages aims to reach 40,000 young people, offers an opportunity to cohesively link together public-private-civil society partners to address youth unemployment.  Ayala added,  “This partnership with IYF to improve the job prospects and income-generating opportunities for Africa’s youth is extremely important and Microsoft welcomes the opportunity to work with an organization such as IYF on this initiative.”