Sightsavers’ IT Bridge Academy wins Top-performing Academy award

A Sightsavers project that supports young people with disabilities to train for a career in IT has been recognised as the best-performing Cisco academy in the world.

The IT Bridge Academy, which runs in Kenya, received the accolade from the technology company Cisco at the African Networking Academy Conference, triumphing over 12,000 other academies from around the globe.

The voting panel looked at its commitment to increasing student enrolments, offering inclusive learning opportunities and supporting students, particularly those from marginalised backgrounds, to achieve academic success.

The academy’s trainers were also recognised at the event and received top awards. This is the second time that the programme has received an award as it was voted top in Africa in 2022 at the Africa Skills Portal for Youth and Employment.

The IT Bridge Academy, which is hosted by the National Industry Training Authority in Kenya, ensures that young people with disabilities have equitable access to high-quality IT education and career opportunities.

Delivered by Sightsavers in partnership with United Disabled Persons of Kenya, Cisco Networking Academy provides the curriculum and ensures that necessary adjustments are made for students with disabilities, particularly during final industry exams.

The IT Bridge Academy is unique in focusing entirely on educating young people with disabilities, supporting them to graduate with a Cisco Certified Network Associate certification, an industry-recognised qualification. Since it began in 2021, more than 130 students from three cohorts have graduated with full marks and many graduates have gone on to successful careers.

Sightsavers’ programme manager Benedict Mutethya said: “What sets the IT Bridge Academy apart is the students’ commitment and passion to the course, posting a 100% pass rate in all three cohorts so far. We hope this award will encourage more young people with disabilities to enrol in IT-related programmes and break barriers in the tech industry.”

Lianna Jones, Sightsavers’ global technical lead for economic empowerment, said: “This award helps to further strengthen our partnerships with key players, including the United Disabled Persons of Kenya and Cisco Networking Academy, to further enhance accessibility in IT education.

“We’re so thankful to all the trainers, project staff and funders who have made this work possible and changed the lives of so many young people with disabilities. We’re now looking to use this model to scale up and expand the reach of our work.”

Now in its fourth year, the IT Bridge Academy has been funded by several donors including UK aid, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Futuremakers by Standard Chartered.

Sightsavers now runs a virtual academy in Kenya thanks to the support of GIZ and other funders, where students with disabilities will graduate with Cisco Certified Support Technician certification. Two programmes are also running in Nigeria using the same model.