Dear Paul, As much as this initiative is fine for now, there are issues. One is what are we doing (KICTB and others) to promote locally produced software? Promoting local software is likely to have more impact (jobs, contribution to GDP, etc.) and be more sustainable in the longer term. On a related matter, we saw the Minister of Finance removing duty on software the other day. This came at a time when Kenya had become recognized as an upcoming global source of innovative software, especially mobile applications software. Given that software development industry has been identified as one of the priority areas for developing globally competitive technology-based products in the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (ST&I Policy, 2012), which was recently approved by Cabinet, the Government needs to create a raft of incentives for local software development. Of course there are issues of other ERPs, including local versions. My 2 cents Tim Waema On 20 September 2012 20:32, Paul Kukubo <pkukubo@ict.go.ke> wrote:
Areba
This project is about jobs. 100 Kenyans will develop skills that are imediately required by the market. The installed base of SAP in Kenya is substantial from Nation Media Group, to Bidco, to many other large and medium sized business and some state corporations. This base is growing.
The ICT Board intends to extend these partnerships to drive high talent development. This is the first. There are many areas and many projects that don't have the requisite skills and there are even more Kenyans who don't have jobs. Many parents will not agree to pay for a child to certify further once he is out of college. Indeed many can't afford it.
Skinning this cat of ICT job creation requires many knives.
Regards
Paul KUKUBO CEO Kenya ICT Board
On Thursday, September 20, 2012, Areba Collins [ @BrainiacKE ® ] wrote:
I wonder how this bodes with the recent discussion about the Government 's Intention to go Open Source.....
On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 4:26 PM, Paul Kukubo <pkukubo@ict.go.ke> wrote:
Kenyan Government and SAP to expand skill set of local graduates
Training aims at improving youth employability in the country’s robust ICT sector and is inline with vision 2030
Nairobi 20th September, 2012…The government of Kenya through the Kenya ICT Board and SAP has today announced a partnership that will see 100 bright but underprivileged studentsundergo training to become certified SAP Software engineers.
Dubbed “SAP Skills for Africa”, the Programme commits to deliver professional training and certification to Kenyan university graduates. The programme will seek to substantially improve the employability of young, bright university graduatesand equally deliver on the government’s mandate to promote digital inclusion, to forge Kenya as an ICT hub for Africa and drive ICT skills development.
“The SAP partnership is key in equipping our young professionals with high end ICT skills that are on demand in the Kenya and the wider East African Market. This effort provides amuch needed skillset for graduates who would otherwise not have had the privilege to be exposed to this specific set of world class skills", said Kenya ICT Board CEO, Paul Kukubo.
The Kenya ICT Board and SAP are in partnership to deliver the latest skills and knowledge to the students. The Kenya ICTBoard will provide classrooms with _______________________________________________
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