As part of its 4Afrika initiative, software giant, Microsoft Inc. has launched its “MySkills4Africa” training programme which will help equip about 200,000 African professionals with technical and non-technical skills.

By 2016, Microsoft hopes to up the skills of 200,000 Africans – half of which will be from the existing workforce and 100,000 recent graduates, 75 percent of which the company will help place in jobs.

According to Microsoft Kenya’s Country Manager, Kunle Awosika, the tech giant is “working towards developing Africa’s business climate that enables people to compete and reach their full potential.”

He added that the initiative focus squarely on entrepreneurship and employability, helping Africans find and create jobs.

“MySkills4Afrika” which focuses on skills development as a way of building capacity within the African continent was borne out of the consistent feedback the company gets from its partners that there is a real skills gap in Africa – in meeting the needed business demands in the 21st century. Such needed skills include: sales, marketing, ICT and leadership skills.

The programme brings together 50 Microsoft staff members from 17 countries around the world in a skills transfer program, where they volunteer in Africa for a few weeks in February, mentoring over 600 beneficiaries across partners, innovation hubs, NGO’s and recent graduates.

Microsoft employees volunteer across different fields that include sales, marketing, leadership, project management, public relations, Human Resource and communication and more technical areas like software engineering.

Awosika however explained that while 4Afrika in definitely about helping Africa grow, the project is not about charity.

“This is a business strategy for Microsoft’s own growth on the continent as well. We believe deeply that helping Africa accelerate economic development and create jobs will help Microsoft achieve our company’s mission in Africa.”

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