Ministers Discuss Africa’s Youth
African Ministers of Education and ICT recently met to discuss “Youth, Innovation and the Development of Talent” on the continent. Soon, the majority of Africa’s population will be under 25 years of age, posing both a challenge and opportunity for…

Malta Improves Digital Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities
Malta’s Foundation for Technology Accessibility presented “Braille embossing services, ICT Training and Information Sessions, Helpdesk Support, the Accessibility Certification, the Consultancy Services and the Maltese Speech Engine” to the country’s Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness, José Herrera, and Parliamentary Secreatry for…

South Africa Develops National ICT Forum
Minister Siyabonga Cwele recently announced the launch of a National IC T Forum in South Africa. He recounted the development of the Information Society in the country, but recognized the fact that digital exclusion still remains an issue in the…
Uganda Demonstrates Commitment to ICTs for Education for Persons with Disabilities
The Uganda Technology and Management University (Utamu), UNESCO, and UNICEF have partnered to help students with disabilities use ICT to learn. The organizations will hold training sessions for “teachers, institution managers, government institutions and publishing companies, developers of learning material…

Oulu, Finland: Top Startup Destination
In 2012, Fortune named Oulu, Finland one of the ‘7 Best New Global Cities for Startups.’ This area currently develops more “innovations per capita” in Finland than any other region and holds 25% of the country’s risk financing, despite the…

MTN Holds App Challenge
MTN is holding its first App Challenge in Uganda between May 29 and 31, in conjunction with Outbox and Garage48, which will develop five startups. Participants’ apps must fit within the following themes: M-Health; M-Entertainment; M-Business; and M-Finance. Susan Kayemba,…

WEF Ranks Countries Striving for Full Digital Inclusion
The “World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2015: ICTs for Inclusive Growth,” evaluates countries that are exploiting the opportunities ICT has to offer and bridging the digital divide through the Network Readiness Index (NRI). The NRI takes into account…

Microsoft Ghana Works for Youth Employment
Derek Appiah, the new country manager of Microsoft Ghana, is devoted to improving youth employment and developing ICT skills for youth more generally, which he thinks are far too low at present. Youth unemployment is a serious problem in Ghana,…

IT Apprenticeships for Youth Employment in Scotland
The UK is combating youth unemployment, in part, through apprenticeship schemes. One company in particular, BT, will launch 1000 new apprenticeships and graduate schemes throughout the UK this year. They will also offer “Degree Apprenticeships,” where participants can work while…

Youth-Senior Partnerships for Digital Literacy Training
Walsa, which means “link” in English, is “an intergenerational ICT learning” initiative of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology Qatar (ictQATAR). This programme is part of ictQATAR’s Digital Inclusion Strategy which, in part, recognizes the exclusion of senior citizens…