Learners will have to undertake digital literacy courses if Karen Nyamu's bill sails through

Senator Karen Nyamu at the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) Africa accredited Test Centre (ATC) forum in Nairobi on Wednesday, May 24th 2023. [Courtesy]

Senator Karen Nyamu is set to introduce a bill in parliament that makes it compulsory for learners to undertake a digital literacy courses.

This, according to the senator, will go a long way in equipping the young population to meet the demands of the current job market.

The nominated senator also wants an assessment of all civil servants to ensure they are all digital literate.

"As a senator, I am publishing a bill on digital skills and this forum could not have come at a better time as we need as a country to collaborate with institutions like ICDL who have specialized in digital skills to support the government agenda towards a digital economy," said Nyamu.

The senator, who is also a member of the ICT committee in the Senate, believes that digital literacy among the youth and civil servants is pertinent in ensuring Kenya remains competitive in the ever dynamic global village.

"We need a workforce that is digitally literate for enhanced productivity," the senator explained.

"We also need to equip our university and TVET graduates with the skills to enhance their employability and focus on them becoming job creators rather than job seekers," said Nyamu.

She was speaking during the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) Africa accredited Test Centre, ATC, forum that brought together various partners who shared their experiences in implementing ICDL in various insitutions.

The ICDL Global CEO Damien Sullivan on his part, spoke to the reality of entrenching digital literacy in Africa's human resource even as he celebrated the milestone of 17 million candidates globally who have gone through the ICDL certification programme.

To celebrate the milestone, ICDL launched a global competition, Africa Global Explorer, which is aimed at students from Kenya and Uganda. The competition, themed 'the importance of digital literacy for African workforce', sought to raise digital competency and skills awareness.