On the 10th of December, 2021, one of the Digital Skills Innovation and Entrepreneurship Grant Beneficiary Tech hub, TakenoLab, under the Digital Malawi Project being implemented by the Public Private Partnership commission, held its very first graduation ceremony for the digital skills and entrepreneurship trainings for the first cohort.
Our ICT Partnership Analyst, Mrs. Beatrice Kachepa was the Guest of Honor at the function, representing The Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC). In her speech, Kachepa advised the then-graduands to put to good use the digital and entrepreneurship skills they acquired during the trainings and effect the skills and knowledge gained during the trainings for the betterment of the country
She then also appealed to all employers in the country to provide employment opportunities to the fresh graduates, even if, it could be through internship programs for exposure and work experience.
She said: “It is sad that most employers only want to employ those with University degrees and experiences. Who then is going to employ the fresh graduates and those with only certificates or diplomas from such kind of institutions? We can only take our country on the map if we work together collaboratively”.
Kachepa ultimately implored the graduates and all other young entrepreneurs in the digital world to challenge the status quo in the digital and technological space through their innovations.
During the graduation ceremony, 113 students, which included 73 males and 41 females, graduated from takenoLab.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Hub, Remy Gakwaya, in his speech applauded the Commission through DIGMAP for funding the hub.
Together with other 5 hubs, takenoLab is a hub that falls under a component of DIGMAP called Digital Ecosystem. The hub offers free courses like Digital Literacy, Web Development, E-lancing and Entrepreneurship. Generally, the hub conducts digital skills trainings; and it also engages youth and women in training and incubation of business ideas that have an ICT component under their entrepreneurship programs.
