SKILLS GAP HIGH AMONG EA FIRMS

 

Skills gap is worryingly high among  firms recently surveyed in East Africa.

 

Close to nine in 10 executives and managers admitted their organizations faced critical gaps in knowledge and skills to deliver.

 

Others said they expected their workforce to develop the required skills within five years during which productivity would remain low.

 

"The region must struggle hard to address this", warned John Bosco Kalisa, the executive director of the East African Business Council (EABC).

 

He said without digital and allied skills the region will be left behind in an increasingly globalized world.

 

Mr. Kalisa was speaking early this week in Arusha during the launching of a digital skills development programme for the East African Community (EAC) region.

 

He said a survey conducted by McKinsey, a global management consultancy,also showed the need for reskilling the professionals in the region.

 

One third of the workforce across the EAC  face disruptions resulting from technology and market trends that require reskilling of professionals.

 

"It is relevant that the market has an available pool of talent that can  help support businesses for socio-economic growth", he pointed out.

 

The statistics by McKinsey consultancy on work skills match with those from another survey by the East African Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (EAQFHE).

 

The survey carried out in 2014 indicated  the skills gap affected 77 percent of productivity, 44 percent efficiency and eight percent of business competitiveness in the region.

 

The Digital Skills for an Innovative East Africa Industry (dSkills@EA) is an online matchmaking platform for skills.

 

It is set to link young professionals with businesses for jobs and internships and aims to bridge the skills gap.

 

That's in regard to digital skills for the application and development of digital products and services in the region's industry.

 

The online platform has to be supported by Artificial Intelligence, now rapidly transforming the world in many aspects.

 

EAC secretary general Peter Mathuki and the German ambassador to Tanzania and the EAC Ms Regine Heiss graced the launch of the platform.

 

It took place alongside the YouLead Summit after keynote speeches by presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Paul Kagame of Rwanda and former president Jakaya Kikwete.

 

"Our goal is to help the youth in EA become better skilled to lead transformational change in the business environment", remarked Ms Heiss.

 

This, she explained, will ensure that such collaborative efforts were shaping the new generation of youth employment and innovation transfer.

 

Germany, through its aid agency GIZ, is funding the programme being implemented through Inter University Council of East African (IUCEA), a Uganda-based institution of the EAC.

 

Also co-opted is the Arusha-based Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) which will have a centre of excellence set for the purpose.

 

IUCEA executive secretary Prof.Gaspard Banyankimbona said the Skillsmatch platform would support young professionals through internships.