The United Nations Industrial Development Organization and computer marker HP have developed a program to help build the entrepreneurial and IT skills of young Africans.

The program will initially be launched in six African countries including Nigeria, Egypt, Uganda and South Africa before being implemented throughout the continent.

The program seeks to train unemployed youths and graduates, helping them acquire IT skills and run their own businesses, according to a U.N. statement.

The U.N. program, dubbed Graduate Entrepreneurship Training through IT (GET-IT), is not the first pan-African IT training initiative, but will focus on teaching much-needed practical solutions for business in finance, management, marketing and technology management.

By providing IT technology, curricula and training for entrepreneurs, the U.N. and HP hope to foster jobs and opportunities in the Africa region. The U.N. chose to partner with HP to provide the training following the computer marker's experience in the training of youths around the world.

Last year, HP started the IT training program in 18 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. But many youths could not attend the training program because of a lack of financial resources to pay HP for the training provided. However, the U.N. will be assisting with finances to meet the training costs.

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), however, has already developed a similar IT skills training program under its e-schools project. Many countries in the region are already implementing the Nepad e-school project.

The Nepad e-school project was initially launched as a pilot project in 11 countries including Mauritius, Egypt, South Africa, Rwanda and Uganda. Following the rollout of the project in these countries, Nepad is now implementing the project throughout the continent. Nepad wants to roll out the project to more than 15,000 schools across Africa by 2015.

Last month, African ICT ministers met in South Africa to approve the new Nepad business plan aimed at expanding the project throughout the region.

Zambian Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Lucy Changwe said the country's ministry of science and technology has already signed up with the Nepad project, along with the ministry of education, to provide IT education in schools to help students hone IT skills and start their own businesses.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.

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