Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania launch talent partnership programme

The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) and its partners, Osmos and Startin.LV, have launched a second  Digital Explorers programme, an ICT-focused knowledge and talent exchange initiative between the Baltics and Kenya, Armenia and Nigeria. This talent partnership programme creates opportunities for young ICT specialists from partner countries to accelerate their careers in Europe’s leading technology hubs.

Kenya, Armenia and Nigeria are leading the digital revolution in their respective regions, and Digital Explorers II will support ICT specialists in these countries as they set out on a digital career path.

Under the framework of this project, Estonia will host 20 trainees and six representatives from the private and public sector in Kenya. ESTDEV will partner with Strathmore University in Kenya and Tallinn University in Estonia for capacity-building activities, and other companies and organisations will provide opportunities for internships and additional projects.

“To respond to a rapidly changing world and for the partnership to be beneficial for all parties, we should be innovative not only in the digital transition but also by developing talent partnerships. This works against the brain drain and supports brain gain, as it boosts the skills and abilities of people in our partner countries. Talent partnership projects are the future of the talent world,” said Kristi Kulu, programme manager for education at ESTDEV, in her closing remarks during the launch event in Brussels.

“Digital Explorers is a prime example of a sustainable solution for building pathways between the EU and partner countries. The key question with this type of project is how to bring trained people to real jobs. Digital Explorers sets out to solve that puzzle with institutional engagement and capacity building. Having the Baltics join forces is a great example of the Team Europe spirit,” said Anita Vella, head of Legal Pathways and Integration at DG HOME.

ESTDEV’s thematic priorities include economic development, education and entrepreneurship, and the Digital Explorers II project is an opportunity to focus on these objectives in Kenya, an ESTDEV priority country. This project will help foster connections between the Estonian and Kenyan ICT ecosystems by supporting entrepreneurship and providing Kenyan professionals with the skillset needed to compete globally.

Companies and countries all around the world place a high emphasis on attracting global talent, but it is also important to consider the sustainability of these models.

“By cooperating with our Lithuanian and Latvian partners, we have created an excellent opportunity to grow into a regional competence centre for talent partnership. ESTDEV will facilitate pre-training for 40 Kenyan ICT professionals, and from those, 20 participants will be given the opportunity for further training and internship in Estonia for a duration of four months. These individuals will gain skills, connections and valuable experiences that they can apply in Kenya and globally,” said Berk Erdem, Innovation and Entrepreneurship project manager at ESTDEV.

Supported and endorsed by the European Commission, Digital Explorers is at the forefront of the EU’s push to include the private sector in fostering sustainable economic growth globally and promote mutually beneficial talent partnerships between the EU and partner regions. Digital Explorers II is the first collaborative project between the Baltic States to be implemented in Africa.