Learning and Working with Smartphones in the Informal Sector

This study – by the Institute for Innovation and Technology (iit) subcontracted by GFA Consulting Group – examines the effects of digitalisation on traditional forms of vocational training in the informal sector in sub-Saharan Africa. By taking stock of the current situation in three countries − Ghana, Kenya and Senegal − it attempts to draw conclusions and make recommendations for action for international cooperation in the field of vocational training. The study deals with the following research questions: How are mobile phones, smartphones and other internet-enabled devices used in practice in jobs in the informal sector, and what demand for skills does this create on the part of learners? How are these devices used for learning and teaching purposes in the informal sector? How are these devices used in projects/programmes to modernise informal apprenticeships?