ILO, Microsoft Launch Digital Skills Programme for Refugee Youth in Kenya

The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with Microsoft, Power Learn Project Africa, the Government of the Netherlands and the Turkana County Government, has launched a new digital skills and employment programme aimed at improving job opportunities for refugee and host community youth in Kenya.

The initiative, delivered under the ILO’s PROSPECTS Partnership, will train 1,700 young people in Turkana County and Garissa County through a 25-week blended learning programme. Participants will receive practical digital skills training, professional certifications and career support to help them transition into employment, entrepreneurship and remote work.

Training will be delivered by Power Learn Project Africa through a network of local digital hubs, community-based organisations, refugee-led organisations and other implementation partners. Up to 1,000 Microsoft certification vouchers will also be provided, enabling learners to earn internationally recognised credentials in high-demand technology fields.

The programme comes as Kenya’s digital economy continues to expand and is projected to contribute more than $5 billion to the country’s GDP by 2028. However, limited access to relevant digital skills remains a major barrier to employment, particularly among young people in underserved communities.

Although more than one million young Kenyans enter the labour market each year, many lack the technical skills required by employers. This skills gap has contributed to persistently high youth unemployment, with more than two-thirds of young people currently out of work.

Caroline Khamati Mugalla, Director of the ILO Country Office for Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, said digital transformation is rapidly changing labour markets and increasing the need for targeted skills development.

“Young people in refugee-hosting communities risk being excluded from opportunities that are increasingly shaping economic participation,” she said. “Investing in market-relevant, internationally recognised digital skills is both a sound labour market investment and a commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind.”

The programme features two learning pathways. An intermediate track will focus on foundational digital and workplace skills, while an advanced track will offer specialised training in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data analytics, aligned with Microsoft certification programmes.

Winnie Karanu, AI Skills Director at Microsoft Elevate, said the initiative aims to make digital and AI skills more accessible to underserved communities.

“By combining training with globally recognised certifications and employment pathways, we are helping more people participate meaningfully in Kenya’s digital economy,” she said.

Power Learn Project Africa Co-Founder and Executive Director Mumbi Ndung’u said the programme is about more than technical training.

“Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not,” she said. “This initiative brings digital opportunities closer to refugee and host community youth, giving them the skills and economic agency to shape their futures.”

Beyond training, graduates will receive career readiness support, employer connections and access to entrepreneurship and remote work opportunities, helping them translate newly acquired digital skills into sustainable employment.

//Staff writer