The Rwanda private ecosystem is hungry for future skills related to emerging technologies, according to a TNA study conducted by the Rwanda Tech Association (RTA) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2013-2014. Based on the findings, 85% of respondents highlighted the skill gaps as a significant obstacle that hinders them from effectively doing their job. Therefore, the DigiCenter supported a study to identify existing ICT skills in the ecosystem, skill gaps and a roadmap to close these skill gaps. The findings are available in the training needs assessment report and free to anyone for further reference.
The Government of Rwanda (GoR) maintains its dominant influence on the ICT sector by being a major customer of ICT talent. GoR is responsible for enacting and imposing policies and regulations affecting the overall ICT business environment. This ICT Skills-Gap Analysis was necessitated by the need to align the efforts of key stakeholders so as to bring about the successful actualization of the relevant ICT policies and strategies.
Findings of the Training Needs Assessment
From the study findings, the interviewed ICT companies see the need for improving the skills of talent provided by the education system. Financial constraints have been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. The study findings establish the need for better and more adaptive, yet aggressive, approaches that will lead to attracting more girls to take up a career in ICT. The study focused on junior and senior IT professionals with the aim of assessing the existing digital skills gaps. For example, the ecosystem has professionals in emerging technologies such as IoT, Big Data and Analytics, AI, Robotics, and Blockchain.
This study has suggested a training roadmap to empower women in the ICT sector in Rwanda. The roadmap includes a discussion of potential strategic initiatives that can be undertaken to ensure a sustained approach to bridging future skills needs and promoting women’s participation in ICT. It also identifies key stakeholders that will play a critical role in its implementation.