More than 90 learners from disadvantaged schools in Gauteng and Western Cape provinces have graduated from a computer literacy training programme initiated by home security company ADT in partnership with the South African Education and Environment Project (SAEP), a Cape Town-based non-profit organisation.
The learners were part of a three-year ADT Teach programme, arranged jointly with SAEP. The first group of students enrolled for the programme in 2009. Some 434 students have graduated from the programme since its inception.
The curriculum was developed by the SAEP, and focuses on ICT skills such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, database and e-mail. In addition, the learners received guidance in public speaking and confidence-building as well as CV-writing skills.
"The programme is aimed at providing learners - some of whom had never even touched a computer - with IT training and support skills. All graduates receive a nationally recognised IT certificate in end-user computing," says Adrian Good, ADT Security's general manager for the coastal region.
Computer era
He explains the programme was conceptualised to address the dire lack of IT infrastructure and support in disadvantaged schools, which meant schools and educators were unable to properly equip learners for the challenges of the computer era.
Describing the major highlights of the programme, Kudakwashe Sibanda, regional training manager at ADT, says: "The students have grown in confidence and some are thriving at university. Also, we are hearing how some of them have outshone their peers at university when it came to ICT skills."
According to Sibanda, some of the graduates found employment as tutors while they were studying.
"A number of our graduates are successful in getting into tertiary education. We manage to beat national averages in this regard. ADT Teach offers learnerships, when available, and some of the ADT Teach alumni have become productive employees of the company through this means. We are constantly looking for opportunities for our graduates in the hope that they gain further education and employment."
On the challenges the programme has faced, Sibanda says attendance can be a problem, especially in the first of the three years of the programme. "Learners attend in their own time and peer pressure and other commitments sometimes get in the way. The tutors work hard at maintaining clear lines of communication with the learners and their families in order to minimise this."
A principal at one of the schools whose learners enrolled for ADT Teach says the students did not only learn IT skills, but valuable life skills as well.
"They were taught how to work as teams and how to act as a leader. It also kept them busy after hours, which reduced the likelihood of them being exposed to gangsterism, which is a real challenge in our community, and other criminal activities and substance abuse," says MS Dotwana, acting principal of Intsebenziswano High School in Cape Town.
Two graduation ceremonies were recently held in each of the provinces, at which the top students in Cape Town and Johannesburg were honoured. The best performing students each received a laptop.
From Cape Town, the 52 graduates came from the Zisukhanyo, Sophumelela and Intsebenziswano Secondary schools. Some 39 learners graduated from the ADT Teach programme in Gauteng, representing Allanridge and Tsosoloso ya Afrika Secondary schools as well as Umqhele Comprehensive School.
Confidence boost
One of the students who was part of the first ADT Teach graduating class seven years ago addressed the ceremony in Cape Town. Okuhle Ngcwana has just completed his national diploma in Chemical Engineering, and told graduates how the ADT Teach programme helped give him confidence to work on computers when he started his studies.
"I noted there were students there who were using the computers for the first time in their lives, and that was when I felt very lucky that I got to attend the ADT programme for basic computer literacy," he said. "My computer skills lecturer noted that I was doing well in this subject to an extent that he even asked me if I can assist other students who were struggling with the subject."
Snamile Biance Mabaso spoke at the Johannesburg graduation ceremony, and thanked ADT and SAEP for the opportunity provided to her and her fellow graduates.
"You have not only provided us with skills to simply operate a computer, but you all have provided us with a future that is filled with possibilities and opportunities, and for that we are truly grateful," she said.
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