MakwaIT, a 100% youth and black-owned Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company is committed to closing the ICT skills gap by assisting in the development of skills through a specialized ICT skills incubation program.
The incubation is a 12-month contractual program for both unemployed but determined youth with no prior ICT skills as well as youth who have formal IT education but no working experience and are extremely eager to pursue a thriving career in the ICT sector.
The MakwaIT Academy has been offering global-standard practical experience and theoretical training to South African self-starters since February 2020. To this day, 12 learners have benefitted immensely from the program, not only improving the beneficiaries’ employability but also creating a globally competitive breed of local ICT specialists that have first-hand insight to challenges (often forgotten) faced by many South Africans.
In September 2021 MakwaIT Academy will commence its 2022 intake of South Africa’s future ICT specialists.
“We recognise the urgency to readdress South Africa’s high rate of youth unemployment and we are determined to play our part to make a dent in the statistics. MakwaIT Academy is our tool to gainfully empower young black talent as well as marginalised individuals such as people with disabilities with the opportunity to attain specialised ICT training and development opportunities which will result in access to a secure job market,” says Fikile Mthombeni, Chief Operations Officer at MakwaIT.
The program equips learners and interns with skills that range from computer networking, programable infrastructure and cybersecurity. The goal is to enable learners and interns plug into a significant introduction to common IT topics designed to increase their professional knowledge. To be part of MakwaIT Academy in 2022, interested candidates are encouraged to visit www.makwa-it.com as of the first week of September 2021.
The incubation program allows tertiary learners to learn about the sector in-depth while also providing them with an opportunity to have an internship at MakwaIT for a duration of 12 months where they could possibly become on-boarded personnel within the company once the internship has been completed successfully.
There have been some success stories from the ICT Academy where four of the six interns from the 2020 internship program are now full time employees at MakwaIT as Junior Technical Account Managers and Junior Pre-Sales Engineers. Further to this, three of the six learners from the 2020 learnership programme are now 2021 interns.
“Our goal is to upskill young South Africans and expose them to technology life skills at a young age in order to grow South Africa as a nation. While future employability is a priority, our programs go beyond merely teaching young people how to connect tech devices. We provide opportunities for learners to not only develop their skills but also to gain early job experience and discover what career options are available to them through a variety of projects. Education, skills development, and life experiences are all important aspects of our country’s development and citizens’ upliftment,” Mthombeni further elaborates.
“MakwaIT is especially proud of this program because in true African spirit everyone wins. For the company, young fresh minds join the already bustling team which constantly improves the quality of our product and services. The interns and learners get to enjoy the dignity and freedom that comes with being self-sufficient individuals with purpose. Last but not least, tech-based solutions that will address challenges experienced by many South Africans will be probable more than ever” concludes Lethabo Mokone, CEO and founder of MakwaIT.
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