Microsoft mobilises Online platforms to curb unemployment in Africa
Microsoft is aiming to create over 100,000 job opportunities and reach over seven million people across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by the end of the year.
The software company plans to achieve this through its online career-focused hubs or employability platforms in partnership with a non-profit organisation Silatech.
The organisation supports youth access to employment across the Arab world.
ITWebafrica reported that, this bid to address unemployment and underemployment will be facilitated through Microsoft’s YouthSpark employability platform which was launched in 2012.
YouthSpark is called Ta3mal in the MENA region and Microsoft said it will provide job-seekers with end-to-end career guidance, upskilling, job-matching and even mentorship through the platform.
Microsoft Middle East and Africa corporate vice president Ali Faramawy said in a statement that “Unemployment in Africa and the Middle East is not a new issue, but its scope is growing with the youth bulge and economic downturn worldwide and we need to find new solutions to address this problem,”
Videos, articles and courses on how to write up a CV, have a successful interview and how to dress in the workplace have been included on the Ta3mal platform according to Faramawy, and will ensure that young people have the widest array of skills to help them secure and retain employment.
Microsoft’s employability platforms are currently available Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, Qatar, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Algeria, Ghana, Palestine and Turkey with expansion plans to 21 countries across including Tanzania, Pakistan, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Mauritius.
The global technology company said in a statement that the YouthSpark employability platform has already reached 5.8 million youth and now has a target of reaching 7 million by the end of financial year 2015.
Microsoft also says that 69,000 job opportunities have been posted on the job search tool to date, with the year end goal set at 100,000.
“We also focus on helping entrepreneurs simply because there aren’t enough jobs to go around so people need to know how to self-employ and perhaps even employ one or two others,” said Faramawy.
The target audience is not university students only. Faramawy said young job-seekers across MEA needing the tools to take the step into the working world would also find the platform useful .
“There are lots of employment resources out there for youth, but the great thing about the employability platform is that it offers one central space where users can find out what they’re good at, take courses to upskill, speak to people in their desired industry and view jobs in that industry,” comments Faramawy.
Posted by Janice Johnson
