Digital Skills Requirements for Ugandan Youth of 2024 and Beyond: Unlocking the Door of Job and Business Opportunities!

An article by Esther Atuhaise, Miklah Volunteer 2024 (Edited without changing the meaning. See the original article here):

As the global economy continues its digital transformation, the demand for digital skills has become more critical than ever, particularly for Ugandan youth .in “2024” and “beyond”, the future of work in Uganda will be shaped by technological advancements, requiring a workforce equipped with the right digital competencies to thrive in the rapidly evolving landscape. The population acquires and embraces digital skills to stay relevant and competitive.

The adoption of mobile technology, the internet, and social media has surged, laying down the infrastructure for the digital economy. However, to fully capitalize on these advancements, Uganda must overcome significant hurdles, including digital literacy and access disparities.

The Government of Uganda in partnership with UNDP released Uganda’s digital transformation road map from 2023 to 2027 (download it from here if interested) and the Ministry of Education and Sports launched a digital transformation strategy specifically for education and sports as early as 2021 (see here).

However, as always, the question is, are we progressing per these policy launches? Are the youth digitally skilled in alignment with the trends?

In this article, we explore the digital landscape of Uganda, the 15 digital skills Ugandan youth should get acquainted with, and what the Government and private sector are or should be doing to bridge the digital skills gap.

The landscape of digital skills and technology in Uganda

Uganda’s digitalization is growing, though not so fast compared to the world’s pace. Available data shows about 30 million of Uganda’s 46 million people use cellular mobile phones. Sadly, only 11 million (24%) have internet access. In terms of social media, Uganda had 2.05 million social media users by January 2023.

You may think these numbers are great, but they aren’t. Why would 16 million people not have mobile phones? Uganda’s internet penetration is low as well. For example, in Kenya, more than 32% of the population had access to the internet by January 2023, with 10.9 million (19%) social media users. In Tanzania, Datareportal reported 31% of the population with internet access and 7% social media users.

Uganda’s digitalization vision faces many other challenges, including poor and expensive internet services, the gender digital gap, politics and Government interference with digital trajectory, and poor uptake of available digital services.

Irrespective of the above challenges, there is marked growth. Additionally, the world is quickly adopting digital technologies, and Uganda and Ugandans have no options but to adopt, learn fast, and move forward with the rest. Digital skills are becoming the currency of the economy or a non-negotiable asset for those entering the workforce.

For Ugandan youth, acquiring skills is no longer optional but a necessity. It is these skills that will open doors to new job markets, promote entrepreneurship, and facilitate innovation.

As a young person in Uganda, there are important digital skills to learn and embrace. I hope you already know that Uganda’s youth suffer high unemployment of up to 62% and business failure of up to 90%.

The 15 Digital Skills Ugandan Youth Must Learn and Embrace

To fully harness the job and business opportunities that come with digitalization or technology, the country needs a digitally literate workforce capable of leveraging technology to drive progress. Below is a summary of the 15 important digital skills for Uganda’s youth in 2024 and beyond:

1. AI and machine learning: One of the key areas where digital skills are highly required is AI knowledge and use. AI and machine learning have the potential to revolutionize various sectors, from agriculture and healthcare to finance and manufacturing. Ugandan youth who possess skills in AI and machine learning can contribute to solving local challenges, such as optimizing crop yields, improving healthcare delivery, and enhancing financial inclusion.

It isn’t necessarily about knowing how to develop AI-powered solutions, but also how to use them for various productive activities. You have heard of ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, Claude, Llama, and others, haven’t you? The question is, what can you use them for and get paid for it? As of today, you can write books, codes, designs, research, analytics, transcriptions, and thousands of other tasks with these tools. Do you know that yet? Think about it!

NB: Remember, Miklah Life through a dedicated initiative called Miklah Academy offers short courses in most of these digital skills. Therefore, don’t hesitate to browse through and choose a course you wanna take. Browse Miklah Academy here or directly go to the courses here. Thank you.

2. Data analysis: Proficiency in data analytics is essential for informed decision-making and business optimization. It is a paying job in research. In an era where data is abundant, individuals with the ability to collect, analyze, and derive insights from data will be highly sought after. By investing in data science education and training, Ugandan youth can empower their youth to become valuable assets in the workforce and drive data-driven innovation across industries.

3. Digital Marketing: In a digitally-driven marketplace, expertise in digital marketing strategies equips individuals for careers in social media management, content creation, and search engine optimization (SEO).

4. Cybersecurity: As cyber threats proliferate, proficiency in cybersecurity is essential for safeguarding digital assets and infrastructure. Cybersecurity courses and skills are among the most respected ICT positions in Uganda. So position yourself for this.

5. Graphic Design: Proficiency in graphic design is essential for creating visually compelling content for websites, social media, and marketing materials. The graphics design industry is changing fast due to AI-powered graphics design tools. Embrace these tools and move fast.

6. Video Editing: With the rising demand for video content, skills in video editing enable individuals to create engaging multimedia content for diverse audiences and advertisements. Just as it is for the graphics industry, the video editing industry is changing fast. Move fast as well.

7. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO skills are vital for optimizing digital content to improve visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. If you need SEO basics for WordPress websites, we can help you. Check Miklah Life Academy.

8. Content Writing: Proficiency in content writing enables individuals to craft compelling narratives for websites, blogs, and social media platforms. We have a well-updated blog and a planned course to help you get started with writing your articles or content. Check our latest article on this here (See here as well).

9. Mobile and Web App Development: With the ubiquity of smartphones, proficiency in mobile app development opens avenues for creating innovative applications to address societal needs. At Miklah Life, we design your websites and also teach you how to go about it, in just days and not months! See here

10. Project Management: Proficiency in project management equips individuals to effectively plan, execute, and monitor digital initiatives for organizations, even online for companies that are physically far away. We have the course at Miklah Academy.

11. E-commerce Management: With the growth of e-commerce, skills in e-commerce management enable individuals to launch and scale online businesses. In 2024, why would a youth’s business not be online? Check our website development offer for your website here: https://miklahlife.com/product/get-wordpress-website/. We can also teach you how to get started with e-commerce business in just hours, visit Miklah Academy.

12. Social Media Management: Skills in social media management enable individuals to curate engaging content, analyze performance metrics, and foster community engagement across social platforms. Yes, social media can be a great resource for most youth in Uganda.

13. Digital Photography: Proficiency in digital photography enables individuals to create high-quality visual content for websites, blogs, and social media platforms. There are many courses on how to use Samsung, iPhone, Pixel, and other flagship phones to create amazing content.

14. Email Marketing: Skills in email marketing are essential for nurturing leads, driving conversions, and fostering customer loyalty in the digital marketplace. We do this a lot here at #MiklahLife. Take this course with us at the Academy.

15. Monitoring and evaluation (or basics of research): Research is one singlemost service that can offer employment and pay you between 1m and 3m per month. All you need is time and a laptop with internet. Any youth who is familiar with research methodologies or monitoring and evaluation basics can write proposals, reports, and evaluation plans, and make money. Take the course with us at the academy.

IMPORTANT: We offer short courses in most of these programs at Miklah Life via our Miklah Academy initiative. So check it out here and let us know what you wanna learn.

Digital skills for youth: The Role of Government & Private sector

Recognizing the pivotal role of digital skills in shaping the future of work, both the Ugandan government and the private sector have launched several initiatives aimed at equipping the youth with the necessary digital competencies. They range from digital literacy programs in schools and universities to vocational training and mentorship programs targeting out-of-school youth.

As we forge ahead, a key priority for Uganda will be to ensure that these opportunities are inclusive, addressing the digital divide that threatens to leave many behind. This calls for concerted efforts to improve digital infrastructure, make technology accessible and affordable, and provide targeted support for marginalized groups, including girls and young women, rural populations, and persons with disabilities.

However, as always, these initiatives are never enough. Ugandans are still regarded as those who come out of universities with no modern-day employable digital skills. Available evidence shows that youth unemployment is one of Uganda’s major problems and shortage of employable skills and networking opportunities top-up the list of the causes of such unemployment.

Some educationists have cited the shortage of soft skills as well (see here). Additionally, according to our earlier writings, the gender digital gap is still huge, which means most females are unskilled in most of these relevant tasks.

As such, both the private sector and the Uganda Government need to do much more and close the gap, both at the general and gender levels.

 At Miklah Life, through a dedicated initiative called Miklah Academy, we are training youth in various modern-day digital courses. You can browse the courses and take any with us, either physically or online

Digital skills for youth: conclusion

The future of work for Ugandan youth in 2024 and beyond hinges on their ability to acquire and apply digital education and foster an ecosystem conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship. Uganda can empower its youth to thrive in the digital age and contribute to the country’s socioeconomic development through training and empowering youth in digital and soft skills that are important for both employment and business success.

The time to act is now with a strategic, collaborative approach that leverages both government and private sector resources to nurture a digitally proficient generation, ready to spearhead Uganda’s journey into a promising digital future.

Miklah Life is already on this; join us.