Upskilling for Increased Possibilities for Disability Inclusion – The Collaboration between the Kenya Business Network and The IT Bridge Academy

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Preparing persons with disabilities for the job market through job upskilling initiatives is critical. The Sightsavers’ IT Bridge Academy, hosted by the National Industry Training Authority (NITA) in Kenya, plays an important role in ensuring that youth with disabilities have access to high-quality IT education and career opportunities. With funding from Germany Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Sightsavers works in partnership with United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) to mobilise persons with disabilities and CISCO Networking Academy to provide the training and curriculum to students with disabilities.

The Kenya Business and Disability Network (KBDN), where Sightsavers is a secretariat, has created a pool of young IT skilled job seekers with disabilities through the Academy. This encourages more employers to engage in the network and builds their disability confidence, ultimately providing more opportunities for persons with disabilities with disabilities. 

Recently, the Sightsavers’ Academy has been recognized as the top-performing academy in the world by CISCO Networking Academy, ranking first among more than 12,000 academies globally. The Academy is committed to increasing student enrolment, offering inclusive learning opportunities, and supporting students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, in achieving academic success.