The digital era has revolutionized the job market, offering Kenyans a myriad of opportunities for flexible and rewarding online employment.

Recognizing the importance of preparing students for this digital job market, the KCB Foundation has embarked on an initiative to equip university students with the necessary skills and tools to thrive in the modern job market.

Through its KCB Scholars program, the foundation has provided 240 university students from the 2022 KCSE cohort with laptops, aiming to enhance their digital literacy skills and empower them to succeed in remote work and the gig economy.

In addition to providing laptops, the KCB Foundation is introducing students to the Ajira digital program and Google opportunities from a freelancing perspective.

These initiatives are designed to expose students to the vast opportunities available in the digital space and to help them maximize job linkages for their growth.

A panel discussion themed "Digital Futures: Contributing to the Digital Innovations for SDG 4" further highlighted the importance of digital skills in today's job market and noted the foundation's commitment to preparing students for success in the digital era.

Mendi Njonjo, Director, KCB Foundation, said the foundation is focusing on providing opportunities for underprivileged and marginalized learners. She stated, "By providing the laptops today, our goal is to increase their digital skills and enable them to take advantage of digital jobs that they come across."

The foundation's holistic approach to education includes not only providing financial support but also offering mentorship, apprenticeship opportunities, and training on leveraging digital innovations for education.

Overall, the KCB Foundation's efforts to bridge the gap between education and employment in the digital era are commendable.

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Exposing students to job opportunities

By equipping students with digital literacy skills and exposing them to job opportunities in the digital space, the foundation is empowering the next generation of Kenyan professionals to succeed in an increasingly digital world.

This year, KCB Foundation piloted a student athletic program in alignment with the Competency-Based Curriculum, onboarding a cohort of 50 student-athletes, who received a scholarship as well as athletics coaching at identified centers of excellence to nurture their talent to world-class athletes.

Annually, the KCB program targets 1,000 bright students from underprivileged backgrounds, with 100 slots allocated to Persons with Disabilities and 500 slots to girls – including gifted and talented individuals, students rescued from FGM, early marriage, and teenage mothers.

The program provides 100 percent transition to institutions of higher learning via tertiary scholarships for all its scholars commencing with the 2022 class.

Since its inception in 2007, the KCB Foundation Education Scholarship program has benefited 5,675 students, with 3,715 currently in Form 1- Form 4

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