The Innovation Hub to launch third CoachLab programme to develop leaders in ICT and Engineering in Gauteng

Pretoria, 25 Feb 2014

The Innovation Hub, in collaboration with the South African Graduates and Development Agency (SAGDA) and North West University, will be launching its third CoachLab programme on 26 February 2014, at the North West University, in the Vaal Triangle, in Vanderbijlpark. The MEC for Gauteng's Department of Economic Development will make a keynote speech at this inaugural event.

The Innovation Hub Africa's first accredited science and technology park is a subsidiary of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA), which is an agency of the Gauteng Department of Economic Development Department.

In 2014, CoachLab@Vaal will have an inaugural intake of 10 ICT graduates. The graduates have been sponsored by the Media Information and Communication Technology (MICT) Seta, the Jobs Fund and the South African Graduates and Development Agency.

CoachLab is a post-graduate leadership programme for ICT and engineering students, run from The Innovation Hub, in Tshwane, in collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand's Johannesburg Centre for Software Engineering. It is supported by prominent industry partners, government, academia and educational institutions that are all committed to establishing of a diverse skills base in the ICT sector. This year will also see the introduction of additional CoachLab programmes in the green economy and biosciences.

CoachLab is fully sponsored by the MICT Seta and industry partners which support skills development as a means to alleviating poverty through employment. The programme runs annually from March to November, in which the graduates are required to work on projects with assistance from industry experts, personal coaches and mentors.

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"This collaboration between the private sector, academic institutions and The Innovation Hub fits comfortably into our vision to position Gauteng as a smart province by tapping into the pool of skilled graduates and boosting their leadership and business acumen,'' said Group CEO of the GGDA, Siphiwe Ngwenya,

"We are pleased to launch the third CoachLab programme in Gauteng. This new institution will impact 10 youths who have completed an initial three-year formal qualification, with the aim of exposing them to dynamics in the ICT industry. We are very proud of our partnership with the Jobs Fund, the MICT SETA and the South African Graduates and Development Agency, which have assisted us to bridge the skills gap that exists in the ICT and engineering sectors," said The Innovation Hub's CEO, McLean Sibanda.

The Innovation Hub

The Innovation Hub, a subsidiary of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA), is Africa's first internationally accredited Science Park and a full member of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP). It is strategically located in Tshwane, South Africa's executive capital in the 'smart' province of Gauteng. As the leading knowledge-intensive business cluster in South Africa, The Innovation Hub implements initiatives identified in the Gauteng Innovation and Knowledge Economy Strategy and Green Economy strategy to advance the economic development and growth of the province through innovation. The Innovation Hub has created a unique space for hi-tech entrepreneurs, world-class businesses, academics, researchers and venture capitalists to meet, network and prosper.

For more information, visit www.theinnovationhub.com.

GGDA

The Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA), previously known as Blue IQ and GEDA, is a merged entity by the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED). GGDA is the implementation arm of the GDED and assists the department in leading, facilitating and managing sustainable job creation and inclusive economic growth and development in the Gauteng City Region.

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