CloudFactory expands mission in Kenya with launch of new digital skills learning initiative

CloudFactory, a global leader in managed cloud workforce solutions, today announced it is expanding its mission in Kenya with the launch of a new learning initiative designed to expand digital skills in Africa.

In partnership with the Safaricom Foundation the initiative is designed to give young people in Kenya the foundational digital skills needed to enter today’s high-tech workplaces.

CloudFactory is also expanding its own operations to Mombasa, furthering its commitment to bring innovation and meaningful work opportunities to Kenya.

”There’s an ever-increasing demand for skilled workers in today’s digital job market, and Kenya is brimming with talented people,” said Mark Sears, founder and CEO, CloudFactory. ”By advancing our mission in the region, we are extending our investment in the people of Kenya – providing meaningful work opportunities that uniquely align with the needs of the tech-forward companies we work with around the world.”

Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are becoming more prevalent and embedded in today’s digital economy.

Helping students build the skills necessary to work with, and alongside, these types of cutting-edge technologies, CloudFactory and Safaricom Foundation are offering a two-week training session for students, focused on ages 18-25, to learn foundational digital skills.

These skills range from typing, spreadsheet expertise, and web research to enriched skills such as data processing and image annotation that underpin the fundamentals of AI and ML.

The goal is to train over 2,000 young people in the region with work-ready digital skills by 2021.

”As the workplace continues to evolve, becoming more digital and technology-driven in nature, it’s critical for young men and women to develop and hone those foundational skills,” said Sanda Ojiambo, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Safaricom Foundation.

”CloudFactory and Safaricom Foundation will help young people in Kenya build important digital aptitudes and experience, setting them up to be successful as they seek out jobs and begin to enter a competitive global job market.”

In addition to launching its new learning initiative in Kenya, CloudFactory is expanding its operations to Mombasa.

As CloudFactory’s presence in Kenya has continued to grow since opening its Nairobi office in 2013, the company has generated meaningful work for around 3,000 people in the region.

Founded in Nepal in 2010, CloudFactory has generated meaningful work for over 12,000 people globally with wages totaling more than $8 million.