Demand for digital skills in Africa is set to surge in the coming decade, according to the
World Economic Forum
. As technologies advance and Internet penetration rates increase, industries are experiencing rapid digitisation, which requires new thinking and capabilities.
To help organisations build an agile, future-ready workforce, a new online community called Learning.africa has been launched.
Thought leaders from across the learning and development ecosystem will share innovation and best practice, as part of a continent-wide collaboration.
“We are fully committed to the L&D community with which we hold many long-standing and close relationships,” says Dr Roze Phillips, executive director of value creation at GIBS. “This type of collaboration is a critical component of successful business school education. By constantly engaging with this audience, we are able to gain a better understanding of their needs and keep our teaching and contribution to the practice current. As a business school that values co-creating strategy and ensuring corporate longevity, relevance and lifelong learning, we fully support any initiative which assists and aids the HR community.”
A core objective of Learning.africa is to facilitate the exchange of ideas, knowledge and expertise. The portal has eight sections that cover the full spectrum of L&D, including:
- Learning strategy: Frameworks, design, content, delivery and measurement
- Leadership: Leadership development, executive education and digital leadership
- Skills: Upskilling, reskilling and digital skills
- eLearning: Online learning, remote learning, content and platforms
- Bschool: Business education, corporate training and trends
- Coaching: Executive coaching, mentoring, team development and apprenticeships
- HRtech: Learning technologies, platforms, cloud, and human capital management
- Directory: Support networks, vendors, tools, and resources.
Colleen Qvist, national vice president of COMENSA, says Learning.africa removes silos by creating a hub of practical, world-class content. “Learning.africa is an opportunity for learning, contribution and networking all in a single online space and is a simple way to ensure that standards are maintained as well as agility in moving forward,” she says. “We are keen to be part of the biggest L&D collaboration of its kind. COMENSA is sponsoring the coaching offering and will ensure that the highest standards of coaching and mentoring are maintained.”
Being Human Group co-founder, Yendor Felgate says his company is excited to contribute to a project that showcases excellence across Africa. “For the first time we have a portal that brings together the different strands of learning and development on the continent. It’s a unique concept that will add value to both vendors and learning and development practitioners.”
As the need to reskill and upskill employees is becoming a strategic imperative, now is the time for L&D professionals to work together and acquire the necessary competencies.
For more information, visit www.learning.africa.