A world of opportunity: how Deloitte Africa is accelerating learning across the continent
Enabling quality STEM education for millions across Africa, Deloitte is making a generational impact — one student at a time.
Africa is predicted to be home to 25% of the world’s youth by 2030 and have the largest workforce by 2040. To make the most of this demographic dividend, access to high-quality education that prepares students for the jobs of the future, creates entrepreneurial opportunities, and drives economic growth is critical.
Deloitte has committed to supporting 20 million people in Africa to access education and skills-building opportunities by 2030 as part of its global WorldClass ambition. It’s an exciting undertaking, made possible through cross-sector collaboration, and brings Deloitte’s capabilities and resources together with innovators and educators to drive change.
Dr. Sidy Ndao, Pan-African Robotics Competition (PARC) founder, was one of 12 leaders chosen for their innovative initiatives in education. For him, inspiring students to pursue STEM education is a key driver to creating long-term impact. Audrey Chitewe, Deloitte Africa’s WorldImpact lead, agreed. She believes that “STEM subjects are critical for the development of critical thinking skills and innovation, and crucial in creating opportunities that drive economic growth for the continent.” Enabling access to this kind of education is one of the most meaningful ways to shift the continent’s perspective from one of challenge to opportunity.
“STEM subjects are critical for the development of critical thinking skills and innovation, and crucial in creating opportunities that drive economic growth for the continent.”
- Audrey Chitewe, Deloitte Africa's Strategy Leader.
When it came to working with Dr. Ndao, Audrey says it was a clear choice amongst the other applicants to Deloitte’s WorldClass Education Challenge. “With more than 340 applications received, PARC emerged as one of the leading innovators because their model offered a compelling opportunity to increase the uptake of STEM subjects across the continent and ensures we’re investing in skills of the future.” – says Audrey. PARC itself unites students from over 30 countries, bringing together brilliant minds to test their critical thinking skills and innovation within real-world situations that are relevant to Africa and beyond.
PARC’s competition theme for 2022 was sustainable impact. Students were invited to test their skills with challenges associated with the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations. “Attending the Pan African Robotics Competition was a mind-blowing experience for me”, says Audrey. “I was able to witness what the future of our continent could be, and it’s achievable through access to quality and relevant education.” Now, with hundreds of students participating in PARC’s challenges and creating compelling solutions to local challenges, they’re able to see how they can become agents of change for a better future — and their belief in that future is exponential.
“I was able to witness what the future of our continent could be, and it’s achievable through access to quality and relevant education.”
- Audrey Chitewe, Deloitte Africa's Strategy Leader.
Deloitte is leveraging the experience and capabilities of more than 7000 Deloitte people across the African continent to achieve its goal of impacting 1 million students by 2025. Through Deloitte’s pro-bono services, resources, and donations, Dr. Ndao is able to foster the growth and monetization strategies that can help enable PARC to scale across more African countries. Beyond key strategies, Deloitte is collaborating with PARC to create a mentorship program that helps enable students to benefit from each professional’s wealth of experience while bolstering their educational experience.
Working together with Dr. Ndao, Audrey says her hope is to contribute to the growth of the African continent, creating access for more students to gain access to PARC and become innovators that drive change within their communities and beyond. That’s part of what drives both her and Deloitte’s WorldClass ambition: making an impact that matters. Now, thanks to that ambition, a world of opportunity is possible for millions of students across Africa.
