2. Professional Foundations at a Glance
✔ Professional Foundations represents the fundamental skills
needed to succeed in the professional world
✔ For young professionals aiming to excel in tech careers
✔ 8 weeks of engaging learning content and hands-on
individual and team deliverables
✔ develop key 21st-century skills for professional growth
3. Why Is Professional Foundations Essential?
In a landscape where character and soft skills are
as vital as code, Foundations ensures you lead
with competence and confidence. Elevate your
career with this essential toolkit covering the
fundamental professional skills of an ever-evolving
tech industry. Because in tech, a solid professional
foundation is the key to success.
4. Professional Foundations
Program Highlights
Collaborative Learning
Learners collaborate with peers
in squads to share feedback,
engage in teamwork, support
each other's growth, and build
a strong professional network.
Career Readiness
Learners gain essential
professional development skills
needed to excel in today's
workplace.
Practical Application
Learners apply newly acquired
skills through real-world
exercises and guided
deliverables.
6. Problem
Many young
professionals lack the
professional skills
needed to succeed in
today's job market.
The Professional
Foundations program
equips young
professionals with the
skills they need to thrive
in the workplace.
Solution
NEEDS ANALYSIS
7. META SKILLS
Professional Foundations empowers learners
with Meta-Skills
Critical Thinking
Examine facts and evaluate
solutions for decisions
Quantitative Reasoning
Evaluate data and make
decisions
Managing Complex
Tasks
Plan and execute for complex
projects and tasks
Tech Skills
Building a personal Tech
Toolkit
Leading Self
Develop self-awareness
and personal values
Leading Others
Improve collaboration and
leadership
Entrepreneurial Thinking
See opportunities and
seize them creatively
Communicating for Impact
Improving written and
spoken communication
8. META SKILLS
The Professional Foundations Program has 8
meta-skills that prepare learners to thrive in any
workplace with…
Leadership Analysis Execution
Quantitative
Reasoning
Managing
Complex Tasks
Tech Skills
Leading Self
Leading Others Entrepreneurial
Thinking
Communicating
for Impact
Critical
Thinking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9. META SKILLS
The Professional Foundations 8 Meta-Skills
Leading Self: Developing self-awareness, positive habits and personal values
Leading Others: Collaborating with teammates to achieve a common goal
Communicating for Impact: Sharing ideas & messages effectively
Quantitative Reasoning: Leveraging data to make well-informed decisions
Entrepreneurial Thinking: Identifying opportunities and problem-solving
Critical Thinking: Evaluating situations and approaches thoroughly
Managing Complex Tasks: Planning & executing multi-faceted projects
Tech Skills: Leveraging tech tools to be more efficient & productive
Leadership
Analysis
Execution
10. META SKILLS FOR PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS
Critical Thinking Leading Self Leading Others
✔ Authentic Inquiry
✔ Research
✔ Analysis
✔ Argument & Judgement
✔ Synthesis
Professional Foundations equips learners with 8 meta skills
for success.
✔ Self Awareness
✔ Self Regulation
✔ Ethics & Integrity
✔ Self Improvement
✔ Empathy
✔ Feedback
✔ Relationship Building
✔ Influence
✔ Collaboration
Entrepreneurial
Thinking
✔ Identifying Opportunities
✔ Creating Solutions
✔ Continuous Iteration
✔ Viability
✔ Sustainability
Communicating for
Impact
Managing Complex
Tasks
Quantitative
Reasoning
✔ Audience Awareness
✔ Voice
✔ Writing Process
✔ Organizing for Effective
Communication
✔ Storytelling &
Presentation
✔ Define the Problem
✔ Structuring
✔ Work planning &
Resource Allocation
✔ Prioritization
✔ Data Contextualization
✔ Uncertainty & Modelling
in the Real World
✔ Empirical Research
✔ Data Based Decision
Making
✔ Quantitative Problem
Solving
Tech Ecosystem
✔ Working in Technical &
Product Teams
✔ Tech Tools
✔ Ethics in Tech
✔ Technical Literacy
✔ Tech Track Specialization
11. Professional Foundations
Program
Outcomes
01. Updated Skills Tracker
Learners will create a plan to reach their
career goals and move forward in their
careers.
02. Work Plan
Learners will embark on a real-world
problem solving project, where they will
build, iterate and test to improve their work
and apply problem-solving skills.
03. Prototyping
04. Professional Kit
Learners will understand their strengths,
areas of expertise, and areas for growth.
Learners will make a resume, LinkedIn profile,
and portfolio to show their AI skills and
interest employers.
12. WEEK BY WEEK FLOW
Week 1
Activities Skills Map Baseline, Target Role & Industry Reflection, Group
Introductions, Tech Onboarding
Milestones Skills Map Baseline
Introductory Survey
Optional Hub
Activities
Karibu Opening, Ceremony Karibu, Closing Ceremony, Networking
Session
Tech Tools for
the week
Peer Review Platform
The Fellowship Portal
Getting Started
Daily 3
Onboarding & Program Overview
The Room Fellowship
Values & Community
GCGOs for Africa
13. WEEK BY WEEK FLOW
Week 2
Activities Moonshot Idea, PICS, Personal Mission Statement, Peer Coaching
Milestones Skills Map Update
Personal Mission Statement
Report on Peer Coaching
Optional Hub
Activities
Karibu Opening, Ceremony Karibu, Closing Ceremony, Networking
Session
Tech Tools for
the week
Google Workspace: Gmail & Calendar, Intro to AI
Daily 3
Karibu Lessons
Values & Empathy
Exploring African GCGOs
Self Awareness & Emotional
Intelligence
Growth Mindset & Grit
Self Regulation & Improvement
Time Management
14. WEEK BY WEEK FLOW
Week 3
Activities Problem Statement, Effective Questions, Research Questions,
Research Planning, Web Research, Reflection
Milestones Problem Statement, Summary of Web Research on GCGO
Optional Hub
Activities
Peer Review: Problem Statements
Tech Tools for
the week
Google Workspace: Drive, Docs, Sheets & Slides, Using AI for
Research
Daily 3
Habit Formation
Goal Setting
Defining Problems & User
Stories
Problem Solving
Asking the Right Questions
Research Methodology & Ethics
15. WEEK BY WEEK FLOW
Week 4
Activities Meditation Challenge, Personal & Professional Goals, Problem
Impact Assessment, Story Behind my GCGO, Project Scope, Work
Planning
Milestones Presentation Report on GCGO Related Problem, Learner Goals
Optional Hub
Activities
Sharing our Stories, Scope Creep
Tech Tools for
the week
Google Slides, Canva
Daily 3
Goal Setting
Communication for Impact
Creating Presentations &
Technical Writing
Communication in Tech Teams
Design Thinking
Work Planning
16. WEEK BY WEEK FLOW
Week 5
Activities Connect with the Team, Reflection & Scoping of Problem, Data
Cleaning, Finding the Right Data, Visualize Your Data, Your Idea List,
Calculating TAM & SAM
Milestones Team Problem Statement, Evidence of Problem with Data
Visualization
Optional Hub
Activities
Team Introduction & Roles, Data Research & Visualization
Tech Tools for
the week
Google Meet, Zoom, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel
Daily 3
Problem Definition
Teamwork Best Practices
Agile Technology Teams: Roles &
Processes
Research & Data Gathering
Data Cleaning & Preparation
Data Visualization
Identifying Opportunities
Generating Solutions
Understanding the Market
17. WEEK BY WEEK FLOW
Week 6
Activities Defining Users vs Customers, Create User Persona, Conducting User
Interviews
Milestones Initial Wireframe Description, User Interview Report, Team Ideation
Report
Optional Hub
Activities
Choosing a User Persona, Conducting User Interviews,
Brainstorming Solutions, Deciding on the tech solution
Tech Tools for
the week
Canva, Figma, Miro
Daily 3
Understanding the User
User Interviews
Intro to Wireframes & Prototypes
Teamwork & Team
Communication
Conflict Management &
Negotiation
Generating Solutions & Making
Decisions
Human Centered Design
18. WEEK BY WEEK FLOW
Week 7
Activities Needs & Pain Points, Solution Recommendations, Constraints for
Your Solutions, KPIs for the Solution,Prototype/Wireframe of the
Solution
Milestones Skills Map Update, Final Prototype/Wireframe, Slide Deck to explain
and pitch your solution
Optional Hub
Activities
Solution Recommendations, Pain Points, Constraints & KPIs,
Prototype/Wireframe Improvement, Creating Pitch Slide Deck, Tech
Track Reflection, Bio & Coping with Imposter Syndrome
Tech Tools for
the week
Google Slides, Canva, Microsoft Powerpoint, AI for Presentations
Daily 3
Generating Solution
Product Requirements
Pitch Preparation
Powerful Presentations
Identifying Opportunities
Wireframes & Prototypes
19. WEEK BY WEEK FLOW
Week 8
Activities Resume Writing, LinkedIn Profile, Interview Preparation, Project Pitch
(optional)
Milestones Resume, LinkedIn Profile, Elevator Pitch, Professional Bio
Optional Hub
Activities
Resume, LinkedIn & Elevator Pitch Review, Project Showcase
(optional)
Tech Tools for
the week
Canva, Google Slides, Google Docs, LinkedIn
Daily 3 Reflection &
Commitment
Elevator Pitch
Professional Bio
Exploring Tech Tracks
Resume Writing
LinkedIn Profiles
Interview Skills
Personal Brand & Bio
Career Skills
22. Learners dedicate an average
of 20-30 hours per week to the
Professional Foundations
Program.
35%
IN LMS
~10 hours per week
going through
engaging online
content
45%
IN SELF WORK
~13 hours per week
working on activities
and reflections.
20%
IN PEER ENGAGEMENT
~6 hours per week
collaborating with
peers.
FOUNDATIONS LEARNING MODALITY
23. COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS
To successfully graduate from Professional
Foundations, learners must:
Submit all 8 milestones
by the end of the program
Pass all 8 tests
with a score of 70% or higher
Complete any additional assessments
such as surveys, knowledge checks etc.