Think about this: When was the last time you shaped someone’s opinions and moved them to act? The ability to influence other people’s decisions is an essential skill because the best leaders seize every opportunity to raise and inspire new leaders.
At SystemSpecs, we believe in using our influence to cause positive change in society by raising a new generation of young people and shaping their future with technology.
As technology increasingly becomes the key to unlocking every child’s potential and creating a brighter future for our nation, we are passionate about helping young people find technological solutions to further their communities and improve lives.
One of the ways through which we express this commitment is by creating learning opportunities through our annual Children’s Day Essay Competition (CDEC) for primary and secondary school students in Nigeria. Founded on the ethos of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), our commitment is to facilitate capacity development in the ICT sector by inspiring the youths to understand their potential and raise their aspirations irrespective of their gender or social background.
Since 2020, we have exposed students to the exciting world of science and technology, through our essay writing competition, with an emphasis on showcasing how their creative thoughts and ideas are a force for national transformation. The CDEC also demonstrates how we are closing the skills gap in tech by building competencies that are in high demand, not only within corporate tech organisations, but also across other industries.
Given the rapid pace of technological development and countless disruptions, the widening skills gap makes it difficult for even the youngest generations to keep up. Children between the ages of 9 and 16, which are our target audience for CDEC, face a unique set of challenges in a modern world where skills transfer, and tangible learning experiences are more difficult to secure.
Educational institutions must also adapt to the constantly changing requirements of the workplace, to check the rate of the growing number of graduates, desperately under-skilled.
The challenges of these new realities are daunting, and the consequences of failing to bridge the skill gap are worth serious consideration, but at SystemSpecs, we are consistent about springing into action.
Our annual essay competition is not the first project that we have embarked upon to create a larger, more diverse talent pool that can solve the technology challenges of the future.
As far back as 2006, SystemSpecs sponsored the Nigerian Students Software Competition, organized by the National Association of Computer Science Students (NACOSS), an umbrella body for students studying Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Cyber Security, Software Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, and all IT-related courses in Nigeria.
We also supported the development of National technology advancement by empowering talented students from all tertiary institutions in Nigeria and focused on hands-on learning and real-world applications.
Hence in 2020, we boldly stepped up to foster new talents and nation builders – individuals who get an early start to create and build their story of impact and contribution to solving societal issues through technology. The acceptance of first edition of the CDEC was a humbling acknowledgement of the pivotal role of SystemSpecs in recognizing the potential of Nigerian youth and empowering them to be the architects of a truly great nation.
Increasingly, essay competitions in Nigeria are quickly becoming commonplace, with many sponsors using the engagement tool to spur thinking, innovation, and academic excellence among the young citizenry. The success of these competitions exemplifies a new era of leadership – one that goes beyond business success to genuinely investing in raising leaders.
As an indigenous tech company, our seeds of impact, social innovation and leadership continue to be sown through the CDEC and we are optimistic of a more skilled, adaptable, and innovative future workforce that will benefit the entire Nigerian landscape.
While we continue to play our role in leading change by example, we hope others are inspired to take more action.
Click here: https://systemspecs.com.ng/2024essay/ to learn more about the 2024 SystemSpecs Children’s Day Essay Competition.
Encourage your child/ward to kick-start a future in tech. The competition provides experiential learning, educational tools, and a memorable opportunity for our children to identify their inner voice for solving national problems.