All around the world, the educational system produces graduates with theoretical knowledge but not enough abstract or soft skills to make them meet the expectations of employers. This, to a large extent, explains why thousands of Nigerian graduates remain unemployed despite the credentials they’ve gained from their respective higher institutions. Hence, the need for skill acquisition institutions.
Seeing how graduates’ lack of professional skills can affect their chances in securing their dream jobs, Chris Kwekowe, a Computer Science graduate from the University of Lagos, and his brother, Emerald Kwekowe, founded Slatecube in October 2014. By freelancing as web designers and running their own software solutions company, the pair funded Slatecube, which is now on the verge of becoming Africa’s biggest e-learning platform providing industry-relevant skills to the horde of African youths looking to boost their professional experience and in turn have an edge in the competitive workforce.
Chris Kwekowe (Founder, Slatecube). tonyelumelufoundation.org
Making Giants Out Of Young African Talents
The Slatecube website is replete with valuable resources (courses, books, and videos) to make e-learning achievable. Just by signing up, users are entitled to a free course, after which subsequent courses cost ₦15000 ($42) with 5 modules available for free.
The courses available on the site range from Digital Marketing, Software Engineering, and Robotics to soft skills such as anger management and negotiation skills. Once users complete any course in relevance to their chosen disciplines, they are assigned virtual internships which allow them to work remotely for prestigious companies such as IT business, Cisco, and accounting firm, Grant Thornton.
At the successful completion of these virtual internships, Slatecube graduates should have acquired the relevant skills that make them employable by companies. This merit is not limited to undergraduates who have notably secured jobs before graduating by using the platform.
Achievements and Accolades
Presently, Slatecube has over 3,000 monthly visitors who use the platform to gain valuable skills and participate in their internships. In 2015, Chris Kwekowe won the 2015 Anzisha Prize, a prize awarded to Africa’s outstanding young entrepreneur. The Anzisha award has played a major role in Slatecube’s publicity. The founder, Kwekowe, has been featured on CNN, BBC, CNBC Africa, ITNew, and MIT’s website. Slatecube has also been endorsed by the Tony Elumelu Foundation and has been awarded the Most Innovative Enterprise by Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
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