Johannesburg, 05 Sep 2016
Software and services specialist DVT has showcased the work of its 2016 Learnership Programme graduates in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Hosted in conjunction with co-funder and partner MICT SETA, DVT unveiled a recruitment system - developed by the Learnership Programme trainees as part of their coursework - at its inaugural 'Projects Day' event in August. The new Web-based software will help streamline the induction of future applicants into the programme, and was coded and tested entirely by the trainees under the supervision of qualified DVT mentors.
DVT's B-BBEE, EE and SD Specialist Prudence Mabitsela says the DVT Learnership Programme introduces trainees with an aptitude for software development to a rigorous course of theoretical and practical work over 12 months, culminating with each graduate earning a globally-recognised Microsoft NQF Level 5 qualification.
"The primary goal of the Learnership Programme, along with our longstanding Internship Programme for university graduates, is to show what these learners and students are capable of with the right amount of nurturing and practical experience," says Mabitsela.
"Given the critical shortage of software development and testing skills in South Africa, these programmes are not only beneficial to DVT and our clients, but we believe to the industry as a whole," she says. "The Projects Day was an ideal way to demonstrate to our clients and partners what these highly talented individuals can do, and how effective the programme can be for future skills development."
Over the past year, 28 learners - 18 from Johannesburg and 10 from Cape Town - were taken through a carefully designed curriculum comprising theoretical coursework with DVT training partner Torque IT, and practical hands-on experience with DVT's in-house development and training teams. They were exposed to a variety of different technologies, including MVC, SQL, BootStrap and C# and various other technologies, along with various flavours of Agile and Agile methodologies.
"We're very proud that all the learners successfully completed the programme, and that most progressed and were taken into our internship programme," says DVT CEO Jaco van der Merwe.
"The remainder have taken the next step up in their training, and are currently working towards their NQF Level 6 qualifications equivalent to a diploma," he says. "The proven success of the programmes means that as of next year, we're looking to increase the intake numbers across the country significantly as we set out to become a serious role-player in the rapid development of much-needed IT skills in South Africa."
The second DVT Learnership Programme enrolled in March this year, with trainees expected to graduate following the completion of their practical work in February 2017.
Share