Four learners from East London and six from Port Elizabeth have completed the Business Connexion (BCX) internship programme, which is aimed at underprivileged students in the region.
The programme is a joint initiative with the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and is actively supported by ISETT SETA.
"South Africa has a shortage of IT skills. Three years ago we decided to give school-goers, who would have otherwise not been in a position to further their education, the opportunity to find careers in the technology sector," says Derek Glass, divisional manager of Eastern Cape Support Services at Business Connexion.
To this end, we assisted the learners with their schooling tuition, book fees, clothing and transport requirements in return for their services during the holidays of their last two years of school," he says.
On matriculation, the learners began the year-long internship programme, which will culminate in the receipt of an NQF 5 qualification, encompassing MS Project 2003, A+ Desktop repairs, N+ Networking and IT Projects +, as well as soft skills related to IT. "Of the 10 participants, eight have been retained by Business Connexion," comments Glass. This is not the only skills programme that the company is involved with in the region. Business Connexion is also the primary sponsor of a skills development initiative at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) which showcases talent to prospective employers.
"We are currently interviewing potential candidates from NMMU and Fort Hare universities as part of our investment in skills development in the ICT sector," he adds.
Business Connexion has already embarked on an internship/learnership programme for next year. As part of the greater national initiative involving 150 interns, Business Connexion in the Eastern Cape will take in 10 interns, primarily from previously disadvantaged communities.
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