Seventy graduates under the digital innovation skills program in Juba

The program of the Digital Innovation and Skills (DISH) has seen 70 people graduate in various skills.

This is the first batch in the program implemented by Community Empowerment for Progress organization (CEPO) with funding from the Netherlands Government

The graduates were passed out yesterday in various courses including Peace building, Business Administration, Teacher Training and ICT.

“Each 3-month course is designed to provide a certificate to students at pre-university level,” CEPO said in an emailed statement.

“The courses are aimed at youth and women who have been particularly impacted by unemployment and who struggle to access (further) education.”

The DISH program is an e-learning platform developed to provide access to youth and women to develop employment skills. Through DISH, online short certificate courses of 3 months are created and made available.

The courses increase the employability of youth and women because they link to key emerging sectors in employment and contribute to stability, peace and resilience.

It was established with partners in Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Netherlands to implement two projects funded under the Orange Knowledge Programme managed by Nuffic and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It contributes to peace building, employment for vulnerable youth and women, and strengthening resilience.

The certificates offered will aid in employment in the different emerging sectors, according to Peter Bidali Elias, the Program Lead at CEPO.

 “The objective of DISH is to increase enrolment in certificate education in order to increase employment possibilities. Especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, youth and women face challenges to find employment, while employers struggle to employ people with matching skills in fast-growing sectors in the employment market,” Elias said.

Plans are underway to introduce inclusive education that caters for persons with disabilities as well as second-school graduates and dropouts, he said.

“DISH courses can be adapted for students with internet access or without internet access, in order to facilitate students who do not have constant connectivity.”

According to Mori Misak, Operations Manager at CEPO, the organization strives to empower community members to be self-reliant and independent

“CEPO is an institution that focuses on a better and balanced society. To realize such a society requires well trained personal like you who are graduating today,” Misak said.

“We expect you to go and practice the knowledge and skills gained from the various courses,” he told the graduates.

“CEPO will continue supporting you to ensure skills attained are imparted onto others.”  

Graduate Kennedy Khamis heaped praises on donors for enabling the success of the program.

“CEPO has planted good seeds that will yield good fruits for the nation as a whole,” Khamis said. “We appeal to the donor to continue supporting the program for its continuity.”