A non-governmental organisation, I-Train Africa is collaborating with an international agency, Unleash Denmark, to upskill over 50,000 African youths across 36 African countries with essential life and soft skills.
Convener of the Global Mentorship conference for African youths and founder of I-Train Africa, Aderinsola Adio-Adepoju, said upskilling of African youths in relevant soft skills is imperative to making them relevant and globally competitive.
Adio-Adepoju, in her welcome address at a virtual press conference, said in the current world where interconnectedness has been streamlined, a person’s network has become a more valuable asset that is priced above his or her knowledge.
She said: “There is a need for literate African youths to understand the ‘Whys before the How’s and despite the fact that a large number of African youths are literate, they don’t understand why they are on their current academic pursuit or life path. And this needs to be addressed if they are to arrive in the future they envisioned for themselves.”
Patron of the Global Mentorship conference and Chief Executive Officer of AIDA resources, Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, said learning within the four walls of the school is not enough to get African youths to actualise their dreams.
According to him, African youths would need direction and clarity if they desire to change for the better. He noted that sustainable partnership and collaboration are driving forces to achieve the required impact of the programme.
The programme lead for Unleash Denmark, Gregory Pepper, said I-Train not only mirrors some of the key objectives of the agency, but also in line with the aim of Unleash in contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which address global problems.
On his part, the African Outreach Manager at Project Access, Tom Kirkham, touched on the post-event activities and how this could be one of the best ways to secure scholarships and expose participants to opportunities that exist in Europe and United States for less-privileged African Youths.
He urged youths to register for the event to have access to information that could expose them to opportunities.
He said: “Clarity must be at the forefront of education for African youths because we are witnesses to the many problems they face due to lack of life skills.”
Other partners at the event, including Unleash Ambassador Ghana, Andrew Akoto- Addo, Janet Obaemo of Odaja Mentorship Programme and Rotimi Eyitayo of Team masters Limited, gave insight into their unique but similar experiences and how early exposure to clarity and direction helped in achieving their goals as African citizens.
The Global Mentorship Conference for African Youths is an initiative that will be held on the virtual networking and conferencing platform, Hopin. All literate African youths between ages 18 and 35 are encouraged to apply.
I-Train Africa is an Edtech social enterprise focused on sustainable development goals (SDGs) 4 (Education) and 8 (Decent work and economic growth).
The organisation was established to address the obvious gap in the region’s education system, which does not meet the needs of the 21st-century workforce.
“The obvious disconnect between making youth aware of what they need and the place to get this knowledge per time is the gap I-Train Africa is actively working to bridge. I-Train Africa aims to build the future we want to see in Africa by creating awareness, blueprint programmes and a community where we offer practical 21st century knowledge and skills that lead to the empowerment of youths,” the founder stated.
