Ekiti State partners Microsoft to train, certify 2,000 youths on digital skills

THE Ekiti State Government says it is partnering with Microsoft Nigeria to train thousands of unemployed and underemployed youths across the state on new digital skills through the Global Skilling Initiative.

The State Government announced this in a statement on its social media page on Monday.

According to the statement, the State Government has also committed to pay for certification examinations of up to 2000 residents in various skills of their choice through the programme to improve their credentials. 

The programme, which is designed by Microsoft, and its partners, LinkedIn and GitHub, will help young people in the state to acquire skills needed to make them more employable in the post-COVID-19 marketplace.

Applicants will be trained on various skills such as; Customer Service, Digital Marketing, Financial Analysis, Graphics Designing, IT Support/Help Desk Technology, Project Management, Sales Development, Data Analysis, IT Administration, and Software Development. Successful participants will acquire industry-recognized IT Certification.

The statement disclosed that the partnership is part of the State Government’s strategic focus on the Ekiti Knowledge Zone initiative and ensures that the state develops a talent pool that will make it an attractive destination for both domestic and international technology companies.

The Global Skilling Initiative is Microsoft’s response to help 25 million people worldwide acquire new digital skills for the COVID-19 economy.  

The initiative identified the global economic crisis, a different hybrid economy that seeks to stem the economic downturn. Using IT tools like Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Microsoft has identified the 10 most available jobs and created training modules to upskill participants to better qualify for those jobs. The Global Skilling Initiative will end March 2021.