Program Structure: 5-Year Flexible Online Learning Model with Train-the-Trainer Community Facilitation
Cost: 100% Free Access to Training and Industry Credentials
To help narrow the digital divide and create sustainable employment opportunities across Sub-Saharan Africa, Arizona State University (ASU) has unveiled a transformative continent-wide initiative aimed at equipping more than 50,000 young people with essential digital skills and industry-recognized credentials.Spearheaded by ASU in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and supported by the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa (PDAA), the Advancing Youth Careers & Employment (AYCE) Digital initiative addresses two critical bottlenecks: expanding access to affordable internet connectivity and delivering market-relevant online tech education at zero cost to participants. The program places a strong emphasis on inclusivity, prioritizing young people with disabilities, refugees, and youth not currently in education, employment, or training (NEET).
From Basic Literacy to Advanced AI Certifications
Designed jointly by ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business and ASU EdPlus, the five-year initiative offers a flexible learning architecture that allows participants to enter at multiple points based on their existing experience and long-term career ambitions.
The curriculum spans a multi-tiered pathway tailored to shifting global workforce demands:
Foundational Literacy: Hands-on training in core digital tools, web navigation, and online collaboration platforms for over 50,000 participants.
Intermediate Credentials: Specialized workforce training designed to help 10,000 learners earn practical, industry-aligned skill badges.
Advanced Technical Certifications: Deep-dive instruction in high-growth fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and project management for 2,500 top-performing learners.
Ohad Kadan, Charles J. Robel Dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business, highlighted the core objective: “Digital skills are increasingly essential to economic opportunity. AYCE is designed to help learners build the capabilities employers are seeking while creating pathways to meaningful careers in a rapidly evolving economy.”
Local Leadership and Community-Driven Facilitation Across Africa
Unlike traditional online courses that lack contextual support, AYCE Digital relies on a community-anchored distribution network across Sub-Saharan Africa. Working alongside local universities, refugee-serving agencies, and alumni from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, the initiative embeds local facilitators to guide learners through their coursework.
Using a scalable train-the-trainer model, more than 100 local facilitators will receive specialized instruction to mentor participants within their own communities. This localized infrastructure ensures that training remains culturally responsive and directly aligned with regional employment markets.
Bethany Weigele, Chief Innovation Officer at ASU EdPlus, emphasized: “What makes AYCE Digital powerful is its ability to combine scale with local relevance. We’re building a model that can grow sustainably at incredible speed while remaining responsive to community and workforce needs.”
Aligning African Youth with Global Employer Needs
The AYCE Digital rollout directly supports the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which targets enabling 30 million young Africans to secure dignified, fulfilling work by 2030. It also advances ASU’s broader commitment to broadening global access to high-quality higher education.
Raghu Santanam, Senior Associate Dean at the W. P. Carey School of Business, noted that rapid technological shifts are reshaping employer expectations across every sector. By linking foundational learning with high-demand certifications, the initiative provides young Africans with the technical grounding needed to participate directly in the expanding global digital economy.
By pairing accessible tech education with local mentorship networks, ASU and its partners are building a sustainable pipeline for talent development—ensuring that young Africans are not just consumers of technology, but active leaders shaping the future workforce.
