Oracle South Africa, through the Oracle Academy, has thrown its weight behind government calls for an increased focus on skills development within the IT industry.
It has moved to address the critical shortage of IT skills in this country with the announcement of the Oracle MD`s Award.
Recipients of the MD`s Award are applicants drawn from previously disadvantaged communities throughout South Africa and given a six-month training programme covering a range of subjects, including "life skills" and "pre-computer" training in addition to a thorough grounding in Oracle products and services.
"The MD`s Award is unique to South Africa," says Sonja Balt, a spokesperson for the Oracle Academy. "It gives around 40 students a year the opportunity to dramatically improve their career prospects and play a meaningful role in the IT industry.
"Courses associated with the MD`s Award are designed to enable students to eventually acquire the technological skills they will need to get jobs in the IT sector as certified Oracle professionals," she says.
Looking at the Academy from a broader perspective, Balt says it is a strategic initiative by Oracle South Africa to create a dedicated support structure for the IT-oriented employees and managers of tomorrow.
"The Oracle Academy`s vision is to holistically deliver education and IT skills development as a vehicle for empowerment," she says.
"Our mission is to address the current training gap in information technology, provide a sustainable pool of local Oracle skills and take a leadership position in the upliftment of the nation`s youth."
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