Technology Innovation Entrepreneurship @eMobilis
Technology Innovation Entrepreneurship @eMobilis
The AJIRA Digital Program is a ground-breaking initiative of the Government of Kenya driven by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MoICDE) with a mission to empower over 1 million young Kenyans annually with digital and digitally enabled skills to enable enabling them to earn a decent living through freelancing opportunities.
The goal of the program is to position Kenya as a leading labour destination and a Business Process Outsourcing Hub for multinational companies, while encouraging local companies and the public sector to create digital work.
At the forefront of this mission is eMobilis, a principal partner with MoICTDE, tasked with operationalization of 101 Ajira Youth Empowerment Centers (AYECs) across Kenya. These AYECs provide Kenyan youth with access to computer equipment, resources, training and mentorship. These AYECs are Incubation Centres where young women and men to access the needed tools in building a dignified and meaningful career in digitally-enabled opportunities. Additionally, eMobilis is involved in institutionalization of over 40 Ajira Digital clubs at selected universities and TVETs. These provide additional opportunities for training, mentorship, and online work career fairs.
Computer Digital Literacy
Introduction to Online & Digital Enabled Work
Personal Digital Profile Creation
Legal Framework for Starting a Business
Entrepreneurship
Financial Literacy
Soft Skills
Leadership
Customer Service
Online Work Safety and Data Protection
AJIRA Digital Business Outsourcing Guide
Assistive Technologies
Blue Collar
Content Writing
Data Entry
Data Marketing and E-Commerce
Search Engine Optimization
Transcription
Virtual Assistance
Basic App Development
Basic Computer Programming
Basic Graphic Design
Data Analysis Using Excel
Financial Marketing and Trading
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Introduction to Cyber Security
Introduction to Web Development
The Basic Module covers computer basics and internet basics, which uses assistive technology that can be used by people with disabilities. These skills can be acquired by anyone provided they’re able to use a computer and understanding English, thus a great beginning point for anyone looking to start a career in online work even without prior technical training.
These training modules are relevant to multiple areas of digital skills that include technical and soft skill such as entrepreneurship, financial management, and communication skills which are fundamental in establishing a thriving online work career in all fields. This is a gateway to upskilling and building an impressive portfolio.
Our Entrepreneurship module provides information on how to identify business opportunities, develop a business plan, and register their businesses. It also covers topics such as marketing, financial management, and customer service. A great way to teak the leap into the world of self-employment. 
These are training areas on emerging trends which introduce potential online workers into the technical career in Technology to be able to work and earn online. Some of the training modules include Programming, web development, graphic design, Financial Markets & Trading, Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security among others.
Ajira Digital Program is a public private partnership with Mastercard Foundation as its principal strategic partner under the Young Africa Works strategy and is being implemented by eMobilis Technology Training Institute (eMobilis) and Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA).
The Ajira Digital program aims at providing an end-to-end solution for young people to work and earn online. eMobilis is charged with the operationalization of Ajira Youth Empowerment Centers, the institutionalization of Ajira Clubs in Universities and Technical & Vocational Educational Trainings (TVETs) as well as the implementation of training and mentorship across the country. On the other hand, KEPSA supports in catalyzing digitization for the private sector and e-government to create demand for the digital and digitally-enabled work skills offered by the program. The Government of Kenya through the Ministry of ICT & Digital Economy, Mastercard Foundation, eMobilis and KEPSA work in close cohesion towards realizing the goal of the program as it addresses unemployment for young Kenyans while contributing to the growth of the digital economy.
Since inception, eMobilis as the Supply –Side Implementation partners, has recorded notable impact for the Ajira Digital Program across the country including: operationalization of over 260 Ajira Youth Empowerment Centres across the 47 counties, institutionalization of over 114 Ajira Clubs in various TVETs and universities as well as training over 250,000 young men and women on the Ajira Digital Curriculum and over 600 on the Ajira AWS re/Start Cloud computing course.
Over 33% of the young people trained on Ajira Digital curriculum have been reported to earn online based on a TIFA Tracer Survey report commissioned by Ajira Digital while a 55% of the successful 400+ AWS re/Start graduates reported to earn from local and global companies.
Also, the TIFA 2022 Report commissioned by Ajira on the State of Online Work in Kenya showed that over 1.9million young people are working online and over 8.9millions of Kenyans are aware on digital and gig work with digital marketing and e-Commerce being among the most engaged platforms.
AWS re/Start is a job specific training program created by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It is designed to provide individuals with little or no technical background with the skills and knowledge necessary to launch a career in the cloud computing industry. The program is free and open to anyone who is over 18 years old and has at least a diploma or equivalent.
The AWS re/Start program provides a mix of technical and professional skills training over 12 weeks (about 3 months). The technical skills training includes modules on cloud computing, networking, security, and databases. The professional skills training includes modules on teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Participants also have access to mentors and career coaching services throughout the program.
In Kenya, the program is offered by eMobilis Technology Training Institute under The Ajira Digital Program which is an initiative of the Kenyan Government through the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth, to prepare the Kenyan youths for entry-level careers in the cloud and connect them to potential employers.
The AWS Re/Start Program training was launched in Kenya on 10th May 2021 with the objective of delivering a quality AWS training program and equipping learners with necessary job specific training in line the current market demand. The learners after graduation can compete with their global counterpart and have the necessary skills required by the job market. The program's aim is also to diversify the learner audience from marginalized communities, refugee camps and people with disabilities. To date the program has trained over 500 learners most of which are working both locally and globally.
The AWS re/Start curriculum is wide and diverse and covers the following areas
Basic computer introduction
Linux
Computer networking
Security
Python programing
Databases
AWS Core services
Presentation skills
Networking skills
Other soft skills
Introduction to DevOps
Apply through the Ajira digital website.
Receive an online assessment to be completed within 1 hour.
Proceed to a 30-minutes virtual interview.
Receive a conditional offer letter.
Complete the 12 weeks online training.
Certify as a cloud practitioner and graduate as an AWS re/Start graduate.
The training is delivered virtually through Microsoft teams. The training uses different modes of training including
Instructor demonstrations - This is a live session with AWS accredited instructors.
Labs – Doing practical work in the provided environments. .
Knowledge Checks- Questions after every topic to access the understanding of the learners.
Learners’ presentation – This is helpful in booking presentations and confidence levels.
Role playing – Taking up different roles to understanding presenting cases to clients
Cohort 1: Started on May 10th with 50 learners all from Kenya.
Cohort 2: Started on 6th September 2021 with 100 learners all from Kenya.
Cohort 3: Started on 17th January 2022, with 120 learners comprising Kenyans and Rwandese nationalities. Kenya represented most of the participants.
Cohort 4: Started on 6th May 2022 with 76 learners all from Kenya.
Cohort 5: Started on 19th September 2022 with 80 learners from Kenya.
Cohort 6: Started on 30th January 2023 with 95 learners, all from Kenya.
Cohort 7: Started on 29th May 2023 with 116 learners all from kenya
Cohort 8: Upcoming Apply Now
Ajira Digital is a free program open to all young Kenyans who are looking to make a dignified livelihood from digital and digitally-enabled work opportunities. Just by a single click on www.ajiradigital.go.ke one is able to access free training, mentorship, and online work linkages to enable them to work and earn a decent income.
eMobilis Technology Institute is the principle MoICT partner tasked with operationalization of existing Ajira Youth Empowerment Centers (AYECs) as well as hiring and managing the key leads for 106 AYECs established across Kenya as part of operationalizing these Centers so that any Kenyan youth to access connectivity, computer equipment, resources, training, mentorship and support to embark on their journey for dignified work through digital and digitally enabled opportunities for earning
eMobilis is also tasked and mandated with institutionalizing Ajira Digital clubs and Curriculum at selected higher level learning institutions (Universities and TVETS) as an additional access point for training, mentorship and online work career fairs.
Africa’s young and vibrant population is eager and motivated to affect change, coupled with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. However, young people account for nearly 60 percent of Africa’s unemployed according to a World Bank report: The World Development Report (WDR) 2019: The Changing Nature of Work. Unemployment impedes economic development since youth who experience a delay in starting out in the labour force tend to continue lagging behind with regards to income growth and earnings after they get employed. In Kenya, only 17% of the working population is formally employed. Those between the ages of 15-34 years’ account for 84% of the unemployed population.
Ajira Digital program is keen on diversity, equity and inclusion focus for marginalised groups including women, refugees and persons living with disabilities (PWDs). Out of the 1 million program annual target to empower young people 70% of them should be young women. Through eMobilis the program has also been able to train refugees and PWDs to enable them work and earn online.
As part of program empowerment and enablement the program has collaborated with a number of women organisations such as Refushe, MadrasaTufalla, Hope World-Wide, NicePlace Foundation, among others to run an apprenticeship program for young women to participate and contribute to the digital economy. The program has also collaborated with various organisations for persons with disability such as Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa, Jitume PWD Group, Chesire group, Ministry of Labour & Social Services, Kenya Red Cross to give them access to skills and linkage to online work. Under the Refugee category, Ajira has collaborated with Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Refugee council and Refushe to train and mentor refugees in the camps and within urban areas in the bid to give them access to work-readiness skills to work and earn online.
Africa's youth population is an incredible force to be reckoned with; they are vibrant, motivated, and ready to make their mark on the world. However, despite their boundless potential, nearly 60% of African youths are unemployed, a statistic that is holding back the continent's economic development, according to the World Development Report (WDR) 2019: The Changing Nature of Work by the World Bank. This staggering number means that many young people are unable to build their careers and are falling behind in terms of income growth.
In Kenya, the situation is equally concerning, with just 17% of the working population having formal employment. Shockingly, 40% of the unemployed population are young people aged between 18-34 according to the Census report by Kenya Bureau of Statistics, 2019. Thus, the need for support and opportunities to unlock their potential of this critical demographic.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here, and with it comes a golden opportunity for young people to tap into meaningful digital work, and in turn, boost global income levels. But as with any revolution, those who are best equipped to access and utilise digital technology are the ones who will reap the most benefits.
Enter the Kenya online Gig Economy - a thriving hub of opportunity that has already employed over 36,000 gig workers and is worth a staggering $109 million. This figure is expected to grow at an annual rate of 33% over the next five years, with the total size of the gig economy projected to reach $345 million and employ 93,875 gig workers by 2023.
So how can young Kenyans get involved? Upon acquiring the Free skills and mentorship you get job linkages to digital and digitally-enabled work. There are numerous work opportunities that are provided by Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) the other principal partner of Ajira Digital to catalyse digitization and creation of work opportunities both locally and globally. With up-and-coming gig economy employers like Upwork, Fiverr, iBuild, Kuhustle, iWriter, Uber, Lynk, Jumia, and Range on the rise, the possibilities for shaping Africa's transformation and driving economic growth are limitless.
0794147447 / 0732608066
ajira@emobilis.org
@AjiraDigital