Upgrade Yourself, a training initiative by Cape Town-based software company Khanyisa Real Systems (KRS), aims to bridge the gap between education and business by providing intensive real-world project experience for software students.
“We see so many students coming out of training institutions with a lot of theory and no practical experience,” explains KRS founder Lorraine Steyn. “It's not good for the industry and it's not good for the students, who have no way to gain the experience they need to get a job.”
Upgrade Yourself is a year-long course in software development that includes five months of classroom training, six months of practical experience working on real-world projects with KRS development teams at various blue-chip clients, and a final month of preparation for an exam to become a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: SQL Server 2005.
“We focus very heavily on database programming skills,” says Steyn. “These are what are most needed in industry, but also where the training institutions seem to be weakest. Appropriate training combined with real experience means our graduates should be employable from the day they finish.”
Students from Upgrade Yourself's 2008 intake confirm the value of real project experience. “We are surrounded by practical applications every day,” says Riyaad Howa, a student who has just completed the course. “We are receiving current, practical knowledge of the IT industry, in a great learning environment where we really learnt lots about business as well as IT.”
As well as programming skills, the training course also includes business essentials like time management, basic accounting, quality, completing projects to set deadlines, teamwork, consistency, dealing with constructive feedback, sometimes dealing with failure, and making changes to meet client or management expectations.
Upgrade Yourself is currently accepting applications for its 2009 courses, due to start in January and July. No previous programming experience is necessary, but applicants must complete a free aptitude test. “The test covers logic and creativity,” says lecturer Alain King. “It's a good way for us to check that software development is really the right career for each applicant, and also helps us to create a great learning environment.”
KRS is offering a free PC to one lucky applicant who passes the aptitude test.
Aptitude tests can be booked via the company's Web site at www.upgradeyourself.co.za.
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