Professional Foundations

Pathway Applications Open Apply Now

This programme includes:

Essential professional development training
Peer-to-peer collaborative learning
Practical application of 8 key meta skills

No Admin Fee

Duration

8 Weeks
Commitment

30-40 hrs/week, Online
Admin Fee

$0

Duration

8 Weeks

Commitment

30-40 hrs/week, Online

Admin Fee

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

Part 1: Self Awareness

Figure out your personal career ambition by meeting members of your cohort and participating in workshops and coursework.

Part 2: Teamwork & Entrepreneurship

In a team with members of your cohort, you will develop your teamwork, management, and communication skills in an entrepreneurial project.

Part 3: Specialisation & Portfolio

Start looking at career paths in your preferred specialisation and understand how to build your portfolio and CV to showcase your new skills.

“It has been an incredible journey! From the onboarding week to the end of the foundations in week 9! Time has really moved so quickly, but I can say Foundations is worth it; the skills I’ve gained in the past 2 months are immeasurable. Thank you, ALX, and the entire staff!”

Brian Wakhale

Professional Foundations: Graduate

Who Should Enrol?

This programme is suitable for people already working in tech, and for those who have no prior tech knowledge or experience.

Shola Tolulope

Years of Experience: 6 months
Role: Junior Clerk
Age: 22
Country: Nigeria
Education: Business Diploma
Goal: Improve Technical Skills

Rabia Idrus

Years of Experience: 1
Role: Voice Actor
Age: 24
Country: Morocco
Education: Production Certificate
Goal: To work as a senior radio host

Alem Berhance

Years of Experience: 8 months
Role: Digital Marketing
Age: 25
Country: Addis Ababa
Education: BSc English
Goal: Strengthen written and verbal communication skills

Your Learning Journey

By combining world-class tech training with essential communication, teamwork, and leadership skills, Professional Foundations helps mould you into a well-rounded professional who is sure to stand out among your peers.

WEEK 1: Introduction & Onboarding

Get to know the platforms you will be using, and familiarise yourself with the expectations of the programme. Skills Map Baseline • Peer Review Platform • Introductory Survey

WEEK 2 & 3: Personal Development

Use self-reflection exercises to understand your professional goals, and learn to clearly define problems as a first step towards finding solutions. Google Workspace • Intro to AI • Google Drive

WEEK 4: Goal Setting & Research

Create a work plan that aligns with your goals and learn how to present research to others so that they can easily grasp your ideas. Google Slides • Canva

WEEK 5 & 6: Start Team Project

Start your team project by forming a group with your peers, defining roles, and exploring the problem you’re working towards solving. Google Slides • Canva

WEEK 7: Finish Team Project

Research the problem you’re working to solve with your team, design prototypes for your solution, and create a pitch deck with your team that synthesises your work. Canva • Figma • Miro

WEEK 8: Wrap Up & Professional Kit

Use your learnings to define your personal brand by creating an elevator pitch, professional bio, resume, and LinkedIn profile. Now you’re ready for work. Google Slides • Canva • AI for Presentations

The 8 Meta Skills Of Foundations

Leading
Self

Develop self-awareness and set personal career goals.

Leading
Others

Learn teamwork and management skills to be a strong leader.

Communicating
for Impact

Learn to effectively communicate with co-workers, clients, and managers.

Quantitative
Reasoning

Evaluate data with maths, logic, and statistics to drive decision-making.

Entrepreneurial
Thinking

Identify opportunities for innovation and seize them creatively.

Critical
Thinking

Tackle complex problems in creative ways and analyse situations for key insights.

Managing
Complex Tasks

Use time management skills to plan and execute complex projects.

Tech
Foundations

Learn how to adapt and evolve alongside the tech industry.

Gain Essential Professional Skills

Professional skills development needed to excel in today’s digital workplace
Engage in teamwork with your peers, support each other’s growth, and build your professional network
Learn to apply your skills in real-world scenarios

Download Catalogue

Programme Requirements

18-34 years old
Of African origin
Ability to write and speak English proficiently
A laptop or desktop computer with access to a stable internet connection
All candidates are kindly reminded that they may only submit one application for a program at a time
All candidates are kindly reminded that they may only submit one application for a program at a time

3-Step Admissions Process

Create Account

Create an ALX admissions account and confirming it via email

Start Application

Application process will take 45 – 60 minutes

Confirm Enrollment

Once accepted to the programme, you will be asked to enrol to secure participation.

FAQs

All candidates are kindly reminded that they may only submit one application for a program at a time.

ALX Professional Foundations is a module that all learners participate in before starting their chosen specialisation. We call it “Professional Foundations” because it helps build the foundational base of essential work-ready skills, along with the core technical skills, that will help you succeed in your future career.

You will learn a combination of soft and hard skills that apply to your specialisation directly after and that you can use in your future career. Some important skills you’ll learn include: Google Suite, research, test-taking skills, career-readiness skills, and how to create your portfolio.

Yes, Professional Foundations is a prerequisite for all ALX learners prior to starting their chosen technical specialisation. Learners who complete Professional Foundations will not have to take it again should they choose to do more than one technical specialisation.

No. Accepted applicants into the programme will not be required to pay a fee to participate in Professional Foundations. If a learner chooses to complete Professional Foundations as a prerequisite for an ALX Tech Lite programme, learners will be required to pay the Tech Lite Administration fee prior to enrolment into their tech specialisation.

ALX offers job-ready training in the tech fields employers need most. ALX is brought to you by the organisation that leads African Leadership Academy, African Leadership University, and Anzisha Prize Foundation.

The ALX Selection Process is a two-step online process. First applicants will be required to complete a registration form which will take a few minutes to complete. Once this has been submitted, pplicants will be directed to our online application platform. The application will take approximately 90 mins to complete and consists of three sections; including an English proficiency test. Applicants will also receive access to the online application via email. Your link to the application is personal and therefore cannot be shared.

Please click on the following link to see our payment terms and options.