Partnership offers IT skills to jobless local youth

WeThinkCode_ (WTC) and the Ekurhuleni West TVET College (EWC) will enter into a pioneering public-private partnership to pilot a programme that will train youth with no coding experience to become world-class software developers.

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The pilot will see two cohorts of 50 students learn the WeThinkCode_ curriculum at the EWC Boksburg TVET campus, extending WeThinkCode_’s annual intake of 450.

The pilots’ success could herald an era to create a pipeline of thousands of in-demand technical skills yearly across the country.

While the country has the highest unemployment rate globally, South Africa’s economy faces a severe technical skills shortage.

WeThinkCode_ is a private software development academy that gives opportunities to unemployed youth to enter the tech field.

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The NPO sees the collaboration with EWC as a chance to further its impact, closing the gap between unemployed youth with great potential and market demand for skilled software developers.

“This programme represents an opportunity to produce digital skills at scale.

“TVETs have a national footprint, and with our demand-led coding curriculum, we can deliver thousands of digital skills into our economy and help to lower our youth unemployment rate more rapidly than WeThinkCode_ could on its own,” said Ruvimbo Gwatirisa.

the WeThinkCode_ campus director: Cape Town and leader of the TVET expansion.

Manie Stoltz, business unit and partnerships manager at Ekurhuleni West College, agrees the partnership is an investment critical to shaping SA’s future in the digital landscape.

“Through this partnership, WeThinkCode_ and the Ekurhuleni West TVET College are empowering young minds to become skilled coders and enabling them to unlock their full potential and create a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

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“Investment in education is a vital step toward building a better world. WTC and EWC are paving the way for a generation of innovative thinkers and problem-solvers who will shape our future.”

WeThinkCode_ brings its track record of producing technical skills demanded by some of South Africa’s largest corporations to the table.

“In our seven years of operating, we have demonstrated that some of the best coding skills come from areas not usually associated with tech talent.

“The proof lies in our 91% post-graduation employment rate and our dedicated corporate partners who trust our ability to deliver top tech skills.

“We are excited about partnering with EWC TVET College to bring this opportunity to more young people and further secure local tech skills pipelines,” said Nyari Samushonga, the WeThinkCode_ CEO.

“Sustainable skills development is a long-term strategy that requires smart partnerships and patience. Important and lasting partnerships are the answer to creating the pool and pipeline of digital talent, said Samushonga.

The pilot programme will bring together the Gauteng City Region Academy (GCRA), the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

Percy Moleke, the CEO of GCRA, said, “The GCRA is proud to partner with WeThinkCode_ and Ekurhuleni West College in this exciting pilot programme.

The programme will see collaboration between GCRA, a post-education and training institution and a civil society organisation in the form of an NPO.

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The programme aims to take ‘best in breed’ course content and curriculum delivery to youth in the province.

“The purpose of the pilot is to test the programme’s scalability. If it is successful, the partners will have a model that could significantly improve the reach of this ICT programme.

“We look forward to future phases of this programme and replicating the model in other sectors.”

The pilot programme garnered support from local and global foundations.

“The core of why we exist as a foundation is to collaborate with other funders and the government to crowd in significant investments in educational models that influence systemic change in our educational system so no young person is left behind or denied quality education in South Africa,“ said Zanele Twala, the CEO of the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation.

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Ona Meyer, the program manager of jobs and livelihoods at the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, said, “Overall, the pilot aligns with the goals of the foundation’s jobs and livelihoods portfolio, which aims to provide new careers and job opportunities for over 250 000 young adults from communities in need, globally each year.

“The partnership between WeThinkCode_ and EWC is a case study of a new partnership model that will allow youth enrolled in TVETs to access a high-quality, industry-relevant curriculum and pathway support into jobs in the ICT sector in South Africa.

Partnerships like these have the potential to stretch across multiple TVET campuses and incorporate a variety of high-quality private training providers to improve employment outcomes for many young South Africans.

“The long-lasting effects anticipated from the collaboration go beyond any individual contribution.”

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Gwatirisa says that beyond the envisaged skills pipeline outcome, the exercise is a chance to collect and analyse data to innovate around policies aimed at creating a robust IT education framework.