Westcon SA has introduced a graduate programme aimed at addressing the local shortage of skills in the ICT industry.
According Ben de Klerk, national sales manager at Westcon SA, as the company drives its growth strategy, it needs to ensure it has the correct resources.
The programme will address its resource challenge and develop a new skills pool that will mature to actively contribute to the industry, he adds.
De Klerk says the programme aims to educate and equip the students, all of whom have relevant bachelor's degrees, with a sense of business and business skills.
"The initial six-week career development training is strategically aligned with the programme and introduces the students to Weston SA's business and the IT industry as a whole. The graduates are then employed within the sales and product management divisions of the company. Finally, they enter a mentorship programme which serves as a consolidation of the application of all aspects learned," explains De Klerk.
With the assistance of pre-selected universities, he says, prospective students undergo various interviews to determine compliance and acceptance into the initiative.
According to De Klerk, internship programmes are invaluable not only to the intern but also the company, as they provide access to a resource pool that is thoroughly assessed.
Businesses can then take on the intern permanently, he states, eliminating the hassle factor of having to find the right candidate for the job. In addition, they are able to fulfil the investment and development section of the ICT charter, he concludes.
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