Magoha, Google Handpick 300 Kenyans for Newly Introduced Course

former Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha during a past meeting in Parliament.
Former Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha during a past meeting in Parliament.
File

The Ministry of Education and Google have partnered to introduce a new course for Technical And Vocational Education and Training (TVETs) in Kenya.

On Tuesday, March 1, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha unveiled a technological hub which will introduce the Software Development course in TVETs.

300 students have already been handpicked and are expected to take part in a six-month training on the newly introduced course to boost the quality of technology-based courses available in the country.

A representative from Google, Charles Murito, explained that the course would enhance digital acquisition skills in Kenya for the transformation of the information age in the country.

Google Headquartes in San Jose, Carlifonia
Google Headquarters in San Jose, California
File

"We believe that human capital is a critical component to ensure that digital transformation happens.

"Not just within government and delivering e-governance services but also in every sector of the society whether we are looking at the hotel industry, agriculture as well as health care," stated Murito.

He further noted that once the system is up and running in the institutions, the successful students would secure employment in Kenya as well as abroad.

"We believe that institutionalizing software developer training across TVETs. We will be able to see better qualified students coming out of the TVET systems who can be able to take on jobs and not just do them for Kenya but across the world," he explained.

This comes at a time Kenyan schools are making the transition to digital learning to enhance its reach even in marginalised and far flung areas.

The ICT Integration in Primary Education (Digital Literacy project) is one of the key flagship projects that President Uhuru Kenyatta's government has been trying to entrench across institution.

Over the recent months, the state has put up ICT infrastructure, developed digital content and built teachers' capacity to handle the transition.

As of January 2021, there were 11 million users on social media in Kenya, representing 20.2% of the total population and 59 million mobile devices.

Prof George Magoha
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha makes an address at Kabarak University's 17th Graduation Ceremony
KABARAK UNIVERSITY