Johannesburg, 16 Sep 2016
The widening skills gap is a really big issue being faced by companies in SA. And it's as frustrating for the developers fresh out of their tertiary studies as it is for the tech managers looking for fresh talent.
Infoware Systems has developed an annual internship programme that helps students bridge the gap between their studies and employment. During the programme, students learn about software development and practices, get experience working on real-life work for clients, learn the software skills required to work successfully as part of a team, and get to network with potential employers.
On 10 August, Infoware Systems announced that the Infoware Studios annual Digital Geekaship internship programme for 2017 was open for applications. Now, ICT students can experience first-hand what the Digital Geekaship programme is all about by signing up to participate in its upcoming "Campus Battle".
The "Campus Battle" is a software development challenge that combines teamwork and application development and is open to ICT students from any South African university and technical vocational and education training (TVET) college. If you're interested, and qualify, in any of the following fields, this one is for you: software, mobile development, web development, front-end development, systems design and engineering. The challenge is limited to three teams per tertiary institution and each team should consist of no more than five members from the same institution; at least two members of the team should be competent in digital design and development.
Participating teams will be briefed on the challenge, and over the course of 36 hours, you'll need to develop a functioning solution. Each team will also be required to submit 30-second videos of the team's progress in which they can share anything related to their experience of the challenge. There are some big prizes up for grabs to the top teams, so it's definitely worth the time and experience.
The closing date for entries is 27 September 2016; you can enter your team here: http://www.digitalgeekaship.co.za/campus-battle.
Digital Geekaship Internship Programme
The Digital Geekaship programme is an eight-month fast-track technical skills development and internship programme. Successful candidates who attain all the learning outcomes graduate with specialised software development skills, work experience, a superb CV and a much brighter future. The initiative is a real collaboration of all stakeholders working with post- and undergraduate students, the tertiary institutions and companies to bridge this widening skills gap.
The programme covers three development areas, outlined below:
1. Agile software development covers key aspects relating to the management of iterative software delivery using the Scrum methodology.
2. Technical software development focuses on technical skills development in a programming language of the participant's choice and covers software development practices and principles.
3. Personal development focuses on soft skills required to be a productive member of a software development team.
Applications for the Digital Geekaship programme are still open until 30 October 2016. Interviews will take place in Johannesburg between 1 September and 30 November. It is important to note that participating in the programme is free and the student will be paid a stipend to assist with travel costs associated with attending the programme.
What else is so great about Digital Geekaship? It is a talent pool for organisations that are looking to employ software developers, testers or business analysts; and companies outsource software development projects to Infoware Systems on a commercial basis for the interns and mentors to work on.
For more information about entering for the Digital Geekaship Campus Battle, visit http://www.digitalgeekaship.co.za/campus-battle and to apply for the Digital Geekaship Programme, visit http://www.digitalgeekaship.co.za/apply.
Alternatively, contact Mogkadi Ntlhane for more info: info@digitalgeekaship.co.za.
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