Recently, two Junior Business Connexion employees completed their SAS Advanced Programming qualification with record results. Thompson Mojalefa, who received an incredible 100% in his exam, and Stefan Labuschagne, who also achieved an outstanding 94%, took on the challenge to enhance their skills as SAS programmers.
The certification involves learning to use advanced data step programming statements, using efficiency techniques to solve complex problems and writing and interpreting SAS SQL code as well as using the SAS Macro facility.
“This qualification will really enhance my credibility as a SAS programmer and it provided a great opportunity to gain new SAS skills. I want to now go forward into the data warehousing field,” says Mojalefa.
The qualification, which took close to a month, was completed through the SAS offices in Houghton. SAS aims to provide training on SAS software in a variety of courses ranging from generalised SAS skills to fully competent qualifications such as qualitative analyst or data miner. Going beyond simply providing SAS software skills, SAS strives to develop well-rounded, experienced consultants, with the business and consulting skills needed for the corporate world.
Mojalefa plans to further his qualification early next year by completing the SAS Data Integration certification. “I want to start early next year with the qualifications leading into the data warehousing field. My advanced qualification has put me in good stead and I'm really looking forward to now advancing my skills in SAS software overall,” says Mojalefa. “I am really proud of my results. After studying close to 1 000 pages of the SAS Prep Guide book, it was quite a feat to achieve 100%,” adds Mojalefa.
The SAS Academy aims to continue to produce confident and competent IT skilled professionals. As a new initiative, it has been very well received in a country that is estimated to be short of around 75 000 IT professionals in the future.
“It is always a pleasure to have students like Thompson and Stefan, who are passionate about improving their skills and moving forward in the IT industry, I'm glad SAS Education could make a difference and help them along their way in this regard,” says Murray de Villiers, General Manager for Shared Services and Alliances at SAS Institute.
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