LONDON, UK – The London-based Commonwealth Secretariat, Friday announced it had entered into a partnership with global digital skills provider, Simplilearn, providing more than 2,000 free e-learning courses to young learners in the Caribbean, giving them access to crucial digital economy skills.
(Photo courtesy Commonwealth Secretariat)It said that in total, the partnership will result in 10,000 course places, worth an estimated five million US dollars being made available to young people in Commonwealth countries throughout 2023.
“It is a huge pleasure to announce the first lot of course places for the Caribbean – a region with a thriving and talented young population,” said the Dominican-born Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated economic fallout, had hastened the rise of the digital economy.
“This is creating new economic pathways, livelihoods and job opportunities which support inclusive and sustainable development across the world. But there is a risk that a lack of digital readiness and skills caused by the digital divide could leave the Commonwealth’s young people behind.
“This partnership and commitment to provide 10,000 e-learning scholarships worth five million dollars will make a huge difference to young people’s job prospects, giving them the skills and confidence needed to thrive in an increasingly digital-focused job market,” she added.
The online training, developed in conjunction with leading industry experts from IBM, Microsoft, Meta and others, includes courses in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, cybersecurity and software development. Each learner will receive a certificate upon completing the course.
Founder and chief executive officer of Simplilearn, Krishna Kumar, said with digital and technological landscape shifts world over, the need for professionals to become equipped with the latest digital economy skills continues to increase.
“As the world’s largest digital economy skills training provider, it has been our endeavor to bring quality upskilling to all and bridge the talent gap globally,” he added.
As a result of the new initiative, at least 200 Simplilearn course slots will each be given to learners in Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago for a total of 2,200 across the Caribbean.
The Secretariat said that the courses aim to equip leaners with the skills needed to excel in an increasingly digital-focused and interconnected labor market, or as entrepreneurs able to interact with the global digital economy.
According to the World Economic Forum, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies are happening in shorter cycles, changing the nature of jobs – as well as the skills needed to do them.
The Secretariat said demand for digital skills already outstrips the supply of available talent, despite high levels of youth unemployment. Approximately 60 percent of the unemployed in Commonwealth countries are young people.
The partnership was announced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda in June and forms part of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s work on supporting member countries innovation ambitions and the accessing of affordable digital infrastructure to narrow the digital divide.
Youth ministers from across the Commonwealth will come together to discuss upskilling young people and solutions to unemployment – among other youth issues – in Pakistan in January for the 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting, the Secretariat said.
