This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
Google Trains 10,000 Youth in Makueni County ¶
Published on August 26, 2019
Google has partnered with Makueni County government to train 10,000 youth in digital skills under the Grow with Google Initiative. The training aims to equip the youth with skills to exploit opportunities available online and earn a sustainable income.
Country Director Charles Murito said the training will enable the youth to leverage their digital skills to seek opportunities on the internet and pursue them depending on their passions and either establish digital careers or businesses.
Already 1,300 youth have benefited from the digital skills training in the county. The initiative is part of Google's Africa drive to train 10 million youth in the continent over a period of five years. So far, four million have been trained since 2017.
"25 percent of those trained are Kenyans but we plan to upscale the numbers over time," said Murito. Google will also partner with key stakeholders, including the national government and counties, to equip as many people as possible with digital skills across the country.
"We will also be going to Kitui and Machakos and eventually in all the 47 counties so youth and job seekers can reach online jobs across the world and perform them within their community as long as they have internet connectivity and a laptop," added the country director.
Speaking at the launch of the Grow with Google Digital Skills initiative in Makueni, Governor Kivutha Kibwana hailed the initiative, saying it will curb unemployment among the youth.
"This is a project which as a government we shall embrace whole-heartedly as it will go a long way in addressing youth unemployment," said Kivutha.
