The e-Skills Academy has teamed with the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (ISETT SETA), to offer Java developer training to matriculants.
President Thabo Mbeki will formally open the e-Skills Academy tomorrow.
The inaugural Java course will start at the academy's Sandton campus later this year and cater for up to 40 students. Academy CEO Dan Ellappa says the two-year programme will be jointly funded by ISETT SETA and Oracle.
"This is the first programme in SA to take matriculants over a two-year period so that when they are 20 they will be fully-fledged developers," says Ellappa. "This particular programme is targeted at matriculants with minimum qualifications in maths and science, if at all... If they have the aptitude they can go forward... You don't have to be a maths boffin. But you need a love for technology."
Ellappa says all prospective candidates will be screened in order to determine their suitability. "It is not a bottleneck for us... We do assessments, career counselling and guidance here at the centre, so for 18-year-olds just venturing out in their careers we offer a full assessment and would advise them accordingly..."
He adds that the two-year course includes a six-month foundation phase, followed by six months of network-oriented training. The third semester is purely software-focused. There is an exit point at the end of each six months.
"So if you are showing lots of flair in the technology aspect of networking and network engineering, we move you in that direction. There's no use making you a software developer if you are not suited to it," he adds.
"If we find you have a personality suited for marketing and getting involved in sales, then we have a sales academy. We move you there in the second year. It is keeping a constant eye on the kind of learner you have and to home in on what their natural, innate talent is... That is what the instructors are looking for," Ellappa adds.
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