The Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA) and Forge Academy and Labs have partnered, in a move to equip young people with ICT skills to compete in the global digital economy.
The two-year partnership, signed last week, will see the two training organisations introduce ICT interventions to bridge the digital skills gap and prepare students for fourth industrial revolution (4IR) opportunities.
Furthermore, the interventions will include accredited skills training, ecosystem building workforce development programmes, as well as public policy, according to a statement.
“The more collaboration between like-minded institutions with a passion for seeing our youth excel in building a future for themselves, the better for all,” says Craig Clutty, COO of Forge Academy and Labs.
“This partnership, and others like it, is critical to securing the future of our nation for generations to come. The 4IR industry is evolving, and being equipped for changes happens when the right education gets delivered at the right time. Now is the right time.”
MICT SETA is a skills development institution established in terms of the Skills Development Act of 1998, with a mission to generate, facilitate and accelerate the processes of quality skills development at all levels in the MICT sector in South Africa.
Forge Academy has established itself as “SA’s Harvard for 4IR”, with a focus on training young South Africans to develop digital skillsets and prepare them for careers of the future.
The statement notes the new collaboration aims to address the skills shortage and combat high unemployment among the youth. It also comes as more than half of youth worldwide will not have the necessary skills to excel in Industry 4.0, it states.
The partnership aims to achieve its goal by identifying and nurturing tech talent among youth, supporting tech entrepreneurs and their businesses, and providing industry-leading education.
Says MICT SETA CEO Matome Madibana: “The MICT SETA is intentional on establishing partnerships that catapult the sector into key future skills domains. This partnership brings us a step closer to realising our vision as an organisation and further accelerates our efforts of ‘massifying’ digital skills to South African youth.
“The 4IR requires us to produce skills that are aligned with the demands of this revolution. Through this collaboration, we are certain we are on the right path of building a pool of talent with relevant skill sets for employment and entrepreneurship prospects.”
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