MTN Foundation’s investment of R14 million to equip 900 unemployed young South Africans with marketable digital skills is a vote of confidence in the potential of the nation’s youth and a positive long-term step in helping secure South Africa’s place in an increasingly digital global economy.
South Africa, like many countries globally, grapples with the challenge of youth unemployment. This is supported by statistics indicating that of the 10 million young people aged between 15-35 years in South Africa – 45,5% are unemployed. Only 2,5 million were in the labour force, either employed or unemployed. The main reason for being inactive is discouragement, i.e. They have lost hope of finding a job that suits their skills or in the area they reside.
The MTN SA Foundation has a long-standing commitment to supporting technical and digital education, and for the second year running, the 2024 Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme will offer 100 selected unemployed candidates from each of the nine provinces the opportunity to participate in the 12-month accredited programme.
“Digital literacy and skills are rapidly becoming regarded as fundamental skills in the workplace. This need is reflected by the Foundation receiving 1737 applications nationwide in 2023 for the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme. Of these applicants, 900 (100 from each province) were selected. Of this intake, 674 completed the programme, and more than 60% of the graduates were women,” says Arthur Mukhuvha, GM of the MTN Foundation.
This year, MTN has been barraged by an overwhelming influx of applications, with a total of 5330 applications received. Through the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs initiative, the 900 students of Class ‘24 will be provided training that includes basic end-computing, coding, robotics, AI, and other essential skills to prepare them for a future in the competitive IT sector.
“We regard equipping young men and women with these skills as the Foundation’s contribution to empowering deserving young people drawn primarily from disadvantaged communities with the skills required to achieve personal economic freedom through rewarding professional careers.”
“At the same time, we will be helping address the high youth unemployment rate, which currently impacts 10 million young people aged between 15 and 25, by helping create a stream of qualified people ready to enter the multi-faceted world of IT. This will, hopefully, help inspire others to enter occupations essential to South Africa’s economic growth,” Mukhuvha adds.
The training courses offered by the MTN Foundation in partnership with the EBL Institute and Datacomb Development Hub are designed to be inclusive. They are open to unemployed men and women who are not enrolled in formal education or training programmes.
The offering includes courses ranging from the fundamentals of strategy, the Internet of Things (IoT), data and big data, cybersecurity, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to designing e-commerce websites and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) requirements.
Structured to also offer opportunities for those with entrepreneurial instincts, the programme includes modules on various facets of establishing a business, life skills, career, and personal development.
Provincial launches took place in the previous month at venues in the North West, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape. Graduation ceremonies will be hosted in six of the nine provinces where programme graduates will receive their SETA-accredited certificates.
Armed with their certificates and new personal digital skills, graduates of the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs programme will be ready to take advantage of opportunities in traditional IT roles as well as emerging fields like digital marketing, data analysis, and software development.
Those who take the entrepreneurial path and start businesses will unlock their potential and, as their enterprises grow, will become employers and create further opportunities.
“As a leading tech-based company, we regard it as our duty to encourage interest in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, which are essential for South Africa to take its rightful place on the international business stage,” adds Mukhuvha.
“Our ongoing commitment and investments in the Digital Skills for Digital Jobs and other IT-based programmes reflect our pledge to make the sector more inclusive. We are particularly proud of our efforts aimed at benefitting youth and disenfranchised women. By assisting these vulnerable people with the skills necessary to achieve their dreams, we are making tangible contributions to strengthening the socio-economic fabric of our country,” concludes Mukhuvha.
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