Neotel, NIIT sign MoU with Siyafunda CTC to address skills shortages in SA ICT sector

Issued by Neotel
Johannesburg, 03 Oct 2013

Neotel and NIIT have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Siyafunda Community Technology Centre (Siyafunda CTC) to address skills shortages in South Africa's ICT sector.

The agreement between these organisations will see the 70-plus Siyafunda community centres converted into ICT learners centres. These will offer ICT learning solutions to individuals, enterprises and institutions. The e-learning content for the solution will be provided by N2 Education Hub, which is the partnership between Neotel and NIIT. N2 Education Hub will also provide support to fulfil any training needs. The training programmes will include an e-literacy and a Rapid Employment programme. These programmes aim to enhance employment opportunities for youths and high school graduates.

Commenting on the MoU, MD and CEO of Neotel, Sunil Joshi, says: "Our strategy is to be a significant player in addressing the skills shortage in the sector we operate in. Partnering with organisations that have the same vision and significant presence in education is of enormous value to us. We are delighted that, through Siyafunda, we will be able to expand even more in the important area of ICT training."

Ahmed Ismael-Smiley, the Founder Director of Siyafunda CTC, welcomed the MoU with Neotel and NIIT, and emphasised the significance of the partnership and the value of skills development as a key driving force for innovation and revitalisation of communities. "Access to education and these skills programmes at the community's doorstep builds intellectual capital and is vital in creating flourishing economies and communities. A partnership of this nature will thus open a world of opportunity for youth who would have otherwise not had the chance. Siyafunda's 70-plus community centre partners can now have access to these quality skills development programmes."

Neotel

Neotel is South Africa's first converged communications network operator. It provides a range of value-added voice, Internet and data services for businesses, wholesale network operators and providers, and retail customers using its IP next-generation network, powered by its high-performance fibre-optic backbone. Neotel connects the major centres in South Africa to each other and to the world, directly linking its infrastructure into Tata Communications' global tier one network. Neotel offers fresh thinking, a creative approach and flexible solutions for communications in South Africa. Neotel continues to invest in developing a world-class fibre network infrastructure, which now spans Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg and Port Elizabeth, and traverses approximately 30 other cities, towns and villages in South Africa.

Siyafunda Community Technology Centre

Siyafunda CTC enables information and community knowledge centres, where people can access computers, the Internet and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. The focus is on the use of digital technologies to support and address basic human needs, and community, economic, educational and social development - reducing isolation, bridging the digital divide, promoting health issues, creating economic opportunities, and reaching out to youth, the unemployed, women and people with disabilities, thereby making them employable and alleviating unemployment by networking with recruitment agencies, government agencies and businesses, thus becoming an enabler for job creation.

Siyafunda CTC establishes partnerships and relationships with multi-stakeholders, local governments and municipalities, private business organisations, community-based organisations, schools and universities in delivering Community Technology Centres in previously disadvantaged communities and areas.

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