Bridging the IT industry and Academia

ICT-ET (Information and Communication Technology association of Ethiopia) is an association set to EXPOSE, ENGAGE and ENABLE the private sector involved in Information Technology, Communication Technology and Broadcasting Technology within Ethiopia. This association recently collaborated with GIZ to better digital education in Ethiopia and on the 26th of November 2020 these two organizations held a meeting with university teachers, private IT company, TVET staff and others using the theme, “bridging the gap between the IT industry and academia.”
The meeting kicked off with a welcoming and opening speech from the vice president of ICTET, Yilkal Abate and four key areas were addressed during the course of the meeting, namely; digital skills framework development, giving standard reading material for basic skill, Internship placement for fresh graduate and digital scouts (junior distance learning expert). The first agenda “digital skill development framework” encompasses online learning, giving enough digital training for teachers and as such. The second agenda “give standard reading material for basic digital skill” entails how to search online, use the internet, use excel and basic understanding about privacy and security.
The third agenda “internship placement for fresh graduates” in highlight is about training fresh graduates in the IT industry. The association will arrange several companies where the trainees can learn and evolve beside their area of expertise. They learn how to communicate, work independently as well as in groups and help expand their interpersonal connection, which helps them get a job or even start a start-up and in turn, train other fresh graduates.
The fourth agenda titled “digital scouts” deals with E-learning and is geared towards helping students learn despite of their geographical location. Around the finale of the meeting, Interns talked about their experience at the association and how it benefited them. The conference was finalized by awarding certificate for those who have completed their Internship.