The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft SA to fast-track job creation, skills development and high-performance computing.
The agreement is expected to pave the way for foreign direct investment in ICT research and development, and to respond to priorities identified by government, namely: education, rural development and job creation.
According to the DST, the memorandum of agreement has highlighted three focus areas: enterprise development, high-performance computing and human capital development.
It is hoped the framework will govern the DST's engagements with multinational privately-funded ICT organisations. It's expected to create a strategic platform to drive skills development, socio-economic development and poverty reduction.
Skills development
DST director-general Dr Phil Mjwara says the department now has a framework to help determine how ICT can be best served by public-private partnerships.
Mjwara says the DST will roll out initiatives in the coming months, to provide post-graduate and doctoral students access to Microsoft's grid and cloud computing infrastructure, both locally and internationally.
However, he declined to reveal deadlines around when projects would be implemented or what the cost would be.
“We will use Microsoft's expertise to provide citizens and government with information that can assist decision-making and science policies. We will bring the needs and Microsoft brings ICT to solve those needs.”
According to Mjwara, the partnership will see a spill-over to other government departments. He explains that the work being done in conjunction with Microsoft will be used in the Department of Education to drive maths and science.
In addition, Microsoft says it will unveil student-to-government programmes to provide internship programmes and ICT training to unemployed graduates by identifying their skills. Once trained, these students will have the opportunity to either work at Microsoft, its partners, or an agency under the Department of Trade and Industry.
Mteto Nyati, MD of Microsoft SA, indicated the memorandum of agreement will enable Microsoft to help government address priorities such as skills development and job creation.
Nyati points to government's mandate to create five million jobs within five years. In order for this to be achieved, enterprises need to support government job creation initiatives, he adds.
“[Over] three years, we've taken 5 500 unemployed graduates and trained them in five to six months and have found employment for them. We want to scale this number by working with the DST, to address this challenge of unemployment.
“There are a lot of people who are sceptical about this partnership, but in my three years of working with government, we've been able to demonstrate results in six to 12 months. We would like to call those who are sceptical and call the media and show them in six months' time that we can create jobs.
“We are looking to take masters and doctorate students to our facilities in Cambridge to do work that is relevant in SA.”
Climate change
Nyati says Microsoft will work with the State IT Agency to define its cloud relationship and how cloud-related services can be used to provide e-government services.
On the environmental front, Nyati says Microsoft will use its climate change modelling technology to assess what SA's climate will be in 20 years' time, so that government can plan for the future.
The DST is also working with the Department of Environmental Affairs, where Microsoft's climate modelling will be used to identify risks and at-risk areas in SA's environment.
Building innovation
The first step in the DST's plans with Microsoft is to increase ICT innovation and entrepreneurship among undergraduate students, by financially backing Microsoft's Imagine Cup student competitions.
The DST's support of Microsoft's Student 2 Business “skills for employability” programme, has to date, trained 5 500 students in partnership with the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority.
According to Nyati, the programme aims to ensure students are “job-ready” for the workplace.
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