Assumption 1: There is a high demand for well educated IT-professionals in the Kenya market?
Conclusion: True, although the field is highly competitive and by "well-educated" they mean well-trained and with quantifiable experience, professional certifications, etc

Well trained,I think it does necessarily mean that you have the papers.Why am I saying that?I have a friend who right now is a force to reckon with in the Telecoms sector but did only 1 semester of an Telecoms class.(Many of you will think thats an exception,but we have guru's who never did formal education).Yet he can probably seat in the same level with aki........ (hmmm...... am not biased...just talking the truthSO I believe papers are not everything.How many "rants" have we seen of a boss who has all the papers yet consults with a junior who has "jerk" but knows the work!

Assumption 2: There are not enough young people who can afford a degree in ICTs, and therefore not enough qualified students to fill all of the jobs?

Conclusion: Not too sure about that because I know many well-trained ICT degree holders who do not have jobs

Thats not true.How many job requests/Applications does one get when an IT post is advertised?

Assumption 3: Providing low-interest loans would help young people get the training they need and supply the market with the talent it demands?

Conclusion: Yes I believe the above is true

True.but what is the channel?Needs to be shortened.

Assumption 4: It is difficult to get a loan in Kenya meaning the country lacks enough people with the right ICT training?

Conclusion: It's not difficult to get a loan and I dont believe ICT is taught in schools but in the field as even people with degrees get into the job market and realise they have no practical experience.

Training could be there,actually we could be having more IT proffesionals than what the country can absorp

Assumption 5: Most students who do graduate with a background in ICTs get a job and can easily pay back their loans?
Conclusion: The job market is crowded, it's not easy to get a job, but the advantage in ICT is that one can easily start their own thing/business,

depending on capital, of course, due to the skills one has acquired

Not so sure since I havent had a loan as yet :)

On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 11:37 AM, Ben White <bwhite@hivos.nl> wrote:

Today I read about the need to train young people in ICTs. But the idea builds on several key assumptions and I wanted to see if members of this group could either confirm or dispel them.

Assumption 1: There is a high demand for well educated IT-professionals in the Kenya market?

Assumption 2: There are not enough young people who can afford a degree in ICTs, and therefore not enough qualified students to fill all of the jobs?

Assumption 3: Providing low-interest loans would help young people get the training they need and supply the market with the talent it demands?

Assumption 4: It is difficult to get a loan in Kenya meaning the country lacks enough people with the right ICT training?

Assumption 5: Most students who do graduate with a background in ICTs get a job and can easily pay back their loans?

Are these assumptions grounded in reality and is this the complete story? Any thoughts or ideas on this matter are most welcome!

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