The Rwanda Development Board (RDB), through its Chief Skills Office has partnered with the Rwanda Telecenter Network (RTN) to roll out online learning programs in order to improve the skills of Rwandans.

Through support from the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), at least 12,000 scholarships will be provided to Rwandans over the next three years giving learners free access to the entire suite of courses on Coursera, Udemy and Google platforms.

According to Didy Elodie Rusera, the RDB Chief Skills Officer, “The RDB Skills Office and RTN are working closely with the Ministry of ICT to implement this initiative and supplement other existing initiatives such as the digital literacy program for public servants. With access to 3 popular online learning platforms namely Coursera, Udemy and Google, we are confident that Rwandans will gain the skills needed in the labour market.  By the end of 2023, we expect more than 12,000 people will have been trained through this partnership.”

While Coursera and Udemy provide access to over 5,000 courses, the Google Certification Programme will encompass six specialized certificates namely IT Support, IT Automation with Python, Data Analysis, Project Management, UX Design, and Associate Android Developer.

This is the second phase of the partnership in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. RDB and RTN partnered to implement the first phase of the Coursera Workforce Recovery Program from June 2020 to March 2021 and more than 12,000 certificates were awarded to Rwandans.

The new program focuses on closing the skills gap for in-demand jobs in Rwanda by providing the skills required to get decent employment.

“Based on testimonies from learners who graduated from the previous program, I strongly believe the new program will create a big impact on learners especially in areas of job creation. Also, since the program is targeting to increase women enrolment in e-learning opportunities, female applicants are encouraged to apply,” noted Paul Barera, the Chief Executive Officer of RTN.

To enrol for the courses offered, please fill the application form available at https://rtn.rw/rtn-col-skills-for-work-scholarchips/ or send an email to [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.