Somalia joins regional skilling to expand ICT training as demand grows

Somalia is stepping up efforts to equip university students and graduates with practical digital skills, joining a growing regional push to make education more responsive to the changing demands of the labour market.

The latest effort is the Bile Initiative 2026, launched in Mogadishu by Tabaarak ICT Solutions in partnership with SomaliREN and with support from the Hormuud Salaam Foundation. The programme has brought together more than 150 final-year Information and Communication Technology (ICT) students from 19 universities.

Now in its third edition, the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between university education and employment by giving students practical exposure in areas considered critical to the digital economy.

Speaking at the launch, Gure Abdi Anshur, Chief Executive Officer of Tabaarak ICT Solutions, said the initiative reflects the company's commitment to helping bridge the gap between university education and the skills required in the workplace.

“The Bile Initiative connects students graduating in 2026 from ICT programmes at universities with the job market. The aim is to provide students with opportunities that will help them prepare for and enter the labour market,” said Gure Abdi Anshur.

This year’s programme focuses on Software Development, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and Software Analysis.

Women account for 43 per cent of participants, highlighting growing efforts to increase female participation in Somalia’s technology sector.

The Somali initiative mirrors a broader shift across East Africa, where governments and private-sector players are increasingly focusing on practical skills rather than relying solely on traditional academic qualifications.

Kenya has been pursuing an even broader skills agenda, with the government targeting more than two million learners for competency-based education and training aimed at equipping young people with practical and marketable skills.

The approach is closely linked to Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) reforms, which seek to move learning away from an examination-centred system towards developing competencies, talents and abilities that learners can apply beyond the classroom.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions are expected to play a particularly important role in this transition. Kenya has been expanding TVET opportunities as it seeks to produce technicians, artisans and other skilled workers needed by industry.

The emphasis on practical learning is based on growing concerns that education systems across the region have not always kept pace with the skills employers require. Graduates may possess academic qualifications but still struggle to secure jobs because they lack practical experience, digital competencies or industry-specific skills.

SomaliREN Chief Technology Officer Mohamed Ali Ahmed said the programme is intended to strengthen students’ technical capabilities and prepare them for professional careers.

Since its establishment, organisers say the Bile Initiative has trained and supported more than 300 students.

For Kenya, the push towards competency-based learning is taking place across different levels of education, with TVET institutions providing a critical pathway for learners who want to acquire technical and occupational skills.

The country’s CBE model also places greater emphasis on identifying individual abilities and giving learners opportunities to develop competencies that can support employment, entrepreneurship and further education.

The regional trend comes as technology transforms sectors including banking, telecommunications, manufacturing, financial services and public administration. Artificial intelligence, cloud computing and software development are creating new opportunities while simultaneously changing the skills employers expect.

The challenge for governments is therefore not simply increasing enrolment, but ensuring that training translates into employability.

Somalia’s initiative also highlights the importance of partnerships between universities, technology companies, professional networks and foundations in providing learners with practical exposure.