DEMERA and Wollo University Launch Third Cohort of Digital Skills Training Program

From Skills Development to Certification and Employment: Building the Next Generation of Ethiopia’s Digital Talent

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DEMERA and Wollo University have officially launched the third cohort of their Digital Skills Training Program, marking another important milestone in a collaboration that continues to connect university education with practical digital skills, internationally recognized professional certification, and employment opportunities.

The new cohort brings together 50 trainees, with women representing 54% of the participants, demonstrating the program’s continued commitment to expanding opportunities for women in technology and building a more inclusive digital workforce.

The kickoff brought together Wollo University leadership, DEMERA representatives, the university’s AppFactory Academy team, and the new cohort of trainees to reflect on the achievements and lessons of the previous cohorts and establish the direction for the next phase of the program.

Opening and closing remarks were delivered by Yetemegn Kebede, Chairwoman of DEMERA; Tewodros Guday, Co-founder of DEMERA; Dr. Awel Seid, President of Wollo University; and Dr. Melaku Tamene, Academic Scientific Director of Kombolcha Institute of Technology (KIoT).

Their messages reinforced a common objective: creating sustainable pathways through which university students and graduates can move from academic learning to practical technology skills, professional certification, and ultimately employment and career opportunities.

Previous Cohorts Show Measurable Impact

One of the most important parts of the kickoff was the presentation of results and lessons from the previous cohorts.

Mr. Ismael Ahmed, Coordinator of AppFactory Academy, presented the progress achieved by trainees and highlighted the growing impact of the collaboration.

Among the first-cohort trainees:

• 42% achieved Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) certification

• 22% achieved Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) certification

• 22% achieved Azure Data Scientist Associate (DP-100) certification

• Approximately 13% secured employment opportunities

The employment outcome has continued to improve. Among the 21 trainees in Cohort 2, seven secured employment opportunities — approximately 33% of the cohort.

The progression from 13% employment in Cohort 1 to 33% in Cohort 2 is an encouraging indication that the program is increasingly connecting digital skills development with opportunities beyond the classroom.

These results demonstrate an important evolution of the program: its impact should not be measured simply by the number of students who participate in training, but by what participants are able to achieve afterward.

Professional certification validates technical competence against internationally recognized standards, while employment outcomes demonstrate how skills development can translate into economic opportunity.

For DEMERA and Wollo University, this connection between education, practical competence, certification and employment remains central to the long-term purpose of the initiative.

50 New Trainees — 54% Women

The third cohort builds on these achievements with 50 new trainees, 54% of whom are women.

This represents an important dimension of the program.

Increasing women’s participation in digital technology is a key part of DEMERA’s broader capacity-building approach. Creating access to training is only the beginning. Participants must also have opportunities to develop practical competencies, pursue professional certifications, connect with employment opportunities, and ultimately participate meaningfully in the digital economy.

The composition of the third cohort demonstrates that gender inclusion can be integrated directly into digital capacity-development programs.

The objective is to ensure that women are not simply represented in training programs but have the opportunity to become certified professionals, technology practitioners, innovators, entrepreneurs and future leaders.

Wollo University Takes Another Step: Automating the AppFactory Academy

Another significant development presented during the kickoff goes beyond individual trainee achievements.

Wollo University has transformed the administration of its AppFactory Academy from a largely manual process into an automated system.

Before the third cohort, the application and administrative processes were handled manually. The university has now developed a system through which the Academy can manage applications and its broader office operations digitally.

The new approach enables the application process to be administered using defined and consistent procedures, helping reduce opportunities for discrimination, favoritism or subjective treatment during applicant management and selection.

Today, the application process and the Academy’s office workflow are automated, representing an important institutional improvement alongside the training itself.

This matters because sustainable digital transformation is not only about teaching students to use technology. Institutions themselves should also be able to apply technology to improve how they operate.

Wollo University is therefore demonstrating the principles being promoted through the program in its own administration: digitalization, transparency, efficiency and fair access to opportunity.

This experience can provide a useful example for other universities collaborating with DEMERA on similar capacity-development programs. As the DEMERA university network grows, successful institutional practices developed by one partner university can potentially be shared, adapted and improved by others.

The impact of the partnership can therefore extend beyond individual training cohorts toward institutional learning and knowledge exchange between participating universities.

From the Classroom to Employment

The experience of the first two cohorts provides an important lesson for the third.

Digital training creates its greatest impact when there is a pathway connecting:

Learning → Practical Skills → Professional Certification → Employment & Entrepreneurship

The employment results are therefore particularly significant.

With approximately 13% of Cohort 1 securing employment opportunities and seven of the 21 Cohort 2 trainees — approximately 33% — achieving employment opportunities, the program is beginning to demonstrate how university-based digital capacity development can contribute to employability.

DEMERA and Wollo University will continue working to strengthen this connection.

The long-term objective is not simply to increase the number of people completing courses. It is to develop young professionals who can demonstrate practical competence, obtain internationally recognized credentials, compete for employment opportunities, create their own opportunities, and contribute to Ethiopia’s growing digital economy.

Strengthening the DEMERA–Wollo University Collaboration

The launch of the third cohort represents the continuation of a collaboration that has developed through successive stages.

Earlier phases established a model combining structured digital learning, hands-on laboratory experience, professional certification pathways, university-based coordination and an increasing focus on employability.

Now, with the third cohort, the partnership is also demonstrating another important dimension: institutional sustainability.

Wollo University’s investment in automating AppFactory Academy operations demonstrates local ownership of the initiative and provides infrastructure that can support future cohorts more efficiently and transparently.

As the program progresses, DEMERA looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Wollo University and exploring how the experience gained through successive cohorts can support broader initiatives in digital skills, innovation, employability, entrepreneurship, institutional digitalization and university–industry engagement.

Building for the Generations to Come

DEMERA extends its appreciation to Dr. Awel Seid, President of Wollo University; Dr. Melaku Tamene, Academic Scientific Director of KIoT; Mr. Ismael Ahmed, Coordinator of AppFactory Academy; Yetemegn Kebede, Chairwoman of DEMERA; the Wollo University leadership and AppFactory Academy team; and everyone contributing to the continued success of this partnership.

Most importantly, we welcome the 50 trainees of Cohort 3 who are beginning their journey.

The achievements of the previous cohorts have established a foundation. The institutional improvements introduced by Wollo University are strengthening that foundation further.

Now the third cohort has the opportunity to build upon it.

50 trainees. 54% women. Growing certification achievements. Improving employment outcomes. A more transparent and automated Academy.

One shared objective: turning digital skills into real opportunities.

The third cohort has begun.

The work continues — building for the generations to come.