HOW AFRICAN GOVT’ CAN BRIDGE SKILLS GAP FOR A POST-COVID ECONOMIC RECOVERY

In a post COVID-19 world, it will be more urgent than ever to find intelligent, data-driven solutions to the most pressing problems. As African governments battle the immediate response to the coronavirus crisis, there is a parallel focus on the future and what an economic recovery will look like.

The potential benefits of digitalisation for various industries are more and more evident. Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies, like Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, blockchain technology and big data are fast-tracking the digital transformation in numerous sectors across the continent. But governments and educators must first teach people to be lifelong learners, and they will need to find new ways to incentivise, recognise and assess the skills that people acquire along the way.

As one of the youngest populations in the world (more than 60% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is under the age of 25), it is essential that adequate investments in education are made to equip the new generation of Africans joining the workforce with the right skills. Ministries of Education need to re-think how skills can be obtained. Governments and communities need to take a fresh look at how they develop emerging technology skills and knowledge. Here are some ideas African governments could explore:

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Image: REUTERS/Baz Ratner