World Bank Urges African Gov’ts to Invest in STEM to Create Jobs for the Youth

The African Heads of States and Governments pose during African Union (AU) Summit for the agreement to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area in Kigali, Rwanda, on March 21, 2018. (Photo by STR / AFP)

Accra, Ghana, July 16, 2019//-The Director, Strategy and Operations of World Bank Group in-charge of Africa Region, Madam Diarietou Gaye has urged African governments to invest in the studies of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to enable them create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth on the continent.

According to her, 11 million African graduates enter the world of work annually, so important for governments in the region to pay attention to STEM.

Speaking at a roundtable on ‘Youth Transforming Africa’ to World Youth Skills Day which falls on 15th July every.

The day seeks to generate greater awareness of and discussion on the importance of technical, vocational education, and training and the development of other skills relevant to both local and global economies.

It is hoped that it will contribute to reducing unemployment and underemployment among the youth across the globe.

The UN designated day is used to highlight youth skills development to draw attention to the critical need for marketable skills.

The founder of Pan African Robotics Competition, Sidy Ndao noted:

He continued: “Coding and robotics are very critical for the youth in this digital age. We therefore need to prepare the youth in order not to be left behind”

Mr Ndao however observed that the studies of robotics are being affected by the lack of STEM tools, and the passive method of teaching in schools on the African continent.

On her part, the Managing Director of Kenya-iHub, Nekesa Were urged the youth to continue learning to enable them to be relevant in the future of work.

Commenting on the bank’s assistance to elearning, the Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator of the World Bank’s funded eTransact project in Ghana, Victor Adadjie touted the achievements of the project within a short period of time.

He said over 3000 youth in the country have so far benefited from a national mobile app training programme organized by his outfit.

The Head of Communications of the Free Senior High School Secretariat at the Ministry of Education, Madam Josberta Gyan Kwakye said the government was working around the clock to include the teaching of robotics and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the country’s education curriculum.

“We will also set up STEM and robotics centres across the country” to speed up the teaching of these disciplines in the country.

Winners of the senior division of the World Robofest Championship who are students of the Mamfi Girls’ Senior High School in the Eastern Region also shared their experience about the competition.

African Eye Report

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