Choice Technologies, one of SA's leading empowerment ICT solutions integrators, has identified a lack of skills in the SA market and has teamed up with the leading training institute in the country to address skills shortages.
Since 2002, Choice Technologies has been offering a learnership programme to learners who are from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, and this is also a CSI (corporate social investment) initiative for Choice Technologies.
While the South Africans continue to prepare for 2010, debates around productivity and the skills shortage, particularly in the IT industry, are putting serious doubts on whether South Africa has what it takes to host the World Cup.
Skills development in our country requires urgent attention in order to ensure higher productivity achievement and competitiveness for the benefit of all. The workplace is the ultimate in training as it brings reality to what learners see as a dreaded school syllabus.
Through partnership with service providers like Torque IT and ITTA, we were able to train learners successfully in Microsoft, Tibco, Novell, System Support NQF Level 5, System Development NQF Level 5, MCSD and MCSE.
Although Choice Technologies is an information and communications company, the learnerships are not only limited to learners in the IT field, as also we have learners groomed into finance and HR management and administration roles within the organisation.
Since the start of this programme, more than 50 learners have had this training opportunity, 42 have been deployed to some of the clients, which include Vodacom, SARS, the Department of Arts and Culture, HSRC, and PSL. Six learners have been permanently employed by Choice Technologies.
The recruitment of the learners is intense and comprehensive and involves thorough interviews with our stakeholders and service providers, who are also our sponsors in this learnership initiative.
The programme has been successful in that together with our stakeholders and partners, we have continued to secure sponsorship and build stronger relationships. Torque IT has been giving us its continued support and has brought into the programme Microsoft, a giant in IT. The success of the programme has been immense and this is indicated by the number of clients who are willing to host the learners for their experiential training.
This is what some of the leaners had to say... Surprise Nkashe, based at head office, said: "They say experience is the one thing you can't take from one's life, and experience is what I have gained since I started with my training here at Choice Technologies. I must say it has been a highlight of my short career in the IT industry, since May 2007 when I joined Choice Technologies. It has been an eye-opener, as I was relatively new in the IT field. I have enjoyed my hands-on experience and have been very fortunate to have a well experienced manager and mentor like Mr Ranleigh Delport. My success for the future in the IT industry is directly linked with my time at Choice Technologies as a front desk support administrator."
Pertunia Ndou, HR assistant at Choice Technologies, said: "I started working for Choice Technologies in 2005 as an HR intern. After 18 months I was employed permanently as an HR assistant. My stay with Choice Technologies has been a great and wonderful learning curve. I received a mentor who trained me in everything I need to be acquainted with in the workplace. I have found the mentorship to be of great significance to my tertiary chapter and I plan to share the knowledge and skills I have learnt with others in the field."
Tebogo Makgamatho, credit controller, also started as a learner. He said: "Not today, I am so busy, it is month-end and it is also our financial year-end. Can we chat tomorrow please?" To us, this was indicative of how absorbed he is in his job. He has found a home at Choice, and we believe that he will grow to contribute significantly to the South African economy, and hold the hands of those who will come after him.
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