MTN Uganda’s corporate social responsibility arm, the MTN Foundation, has launched a skills development academy designed to empower youths in the country.
Known as MTN Skills Academy, the online platform also aims to bridge the digital divide and has been launched in partnership with Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, the National ICT Innovation Hub, American Tower Cooperation (ATC), and Huawei.
MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Sylvia Mulinge noted that the programme also seeks to address the critical gap between digital skills training and job placement.
“As MTN, we are committed to driving digital solutions for Africa’s progress. With the launch of the MTN Skills Academy in Uganda, we aim to equip the country’s youth, who are at the forefront of digitalization, with the necessary skills to advance the digitalization agenda and drive the nation’s progress,” She said.
She also noted that the MTN Skills Academy would play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges faced by Uganda’s youth, who make up the majority of the population and yet remain one of the most vulnerable groups in the country.
The latest statistics from the World Bank shows that over 75% of Uganda’s population is below the age of 30. The nation also grapples with one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa, currently standing at 13.3%.
Furthermore, the International Finance Corporation estimates that by 2030 approximately 230 million jobs will require digital skills.
Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, the Minister of State for Information, Communications and Technology said the programme will enable our youth to tap into the vast resources that MTN offers for our nation’s development,
“I extend my gratitude to MTN for continually seeking and implementing innovations that propel our digitalization agenda forward. ‘’ She said.
MTN says its commitment to empowering youth extends beyond Uganda, as the company plans to roll out the MTN Skills Academy across all its operating companies in Africa, targeting the empowerment of at least one million youths by 2025.
It is worth noting that MTN Uganda has complementary initiatives under the MTN ACE programme, aimed at empowering youth to leverage ICTs for Uganda’s socioeconomic transformation.
