Tech up skills project launch application for Young innovators in Technology to be supported

The tech Upskill project is a 3 year project initiated by the Rwanda ICT Chamber in partnership with the German ICT Association BITMI to create awareness to build interest in Young people and identify promising tech talents and innovators across the country. 250STARTUPS, FabLab and KLab were selected as a consortium to implement the project with 250STARTUPS as lead partner.

Where the first cohort of the program will target skilled students in ICT and Engineering related fields covering both software development as well as hardware innovations that could utilize 4^th industrial Technologies like computer aided design and manufacturing. As a talent detection project it aims to support talented students and fresh graduates with either tech projects that could be built into profitable businesses or talented students who wish to acquire more skills and become professionals.

Chris DUSHIME AIMP Project Manager/ICT Chamber Said: “This project is aimed at expanding the ICT ecosystem in Rwanda and helping technology entrepreneurs to create more jobs. So, during this program we will partner with Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) to be able to find the talents in schools and start helping them, so that at the time of being released, they will be ready to compete on international level”.

“We want to create employment, we want to improve Rwandan  ICT ecosystem and we believe that this project will support young innovators who are still at the ideation stage”. He added.

Dr.James Gashumba, Rwanda Polytechnic vice chancellor has said: “The tech up skills project is very important for us and for RP’s young innovators generally, because we have many innovators in ICT who are very skilled and want to improve their discovered technologies. This will give them an opportunity to expand their activities with the partners, who would support them for investments”.

Out of the 30 participants, the best innovators with entrepreneurial projects will have the opportunity to join different incubation programs by 250STARTUPS  and others in the ecosystems after  completing the program while the top talents will benefit from  internship placement at local organizations and as well as partner companies in German, and may have other employment opportunities through KLAB’S Freelancer program.

Hardware innovations will also be supported by FABLAB Rwanda introducing both participants to the latest technologies in CAD/CAM with potential to produce products for the market through the FABMAKER program.

The consortium led by 250 Startups will tap into its existing partnership with Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) which has a provision for detecting and supporting innovators among students and join their efforts to raise awareness at the academic levels across TVETs in Rwanda.

Photo: Yves Ishimwe