Annual skills development programme expands to offer more inclusive technology skills
The free week-long work exposure programme exists to introduce Durban's youth to the tech-related skills they will need to get started with their career.
Registrations are now open for immedia’s annual Summer School resuming November 2019 which, this season, will encompass learning streams aimed at preparing more students and graduates to thrive in South Africa’s emerging digital economy. The free week-long work exposure programme exists to introduce Durban’s youth to the tech-related skills they will need to get started with their career.
In addition to skills related to the design and development of mobile apps, APIs, websites, IT Support and networking, in its seventh year, Summer School will offer participants the opportunity to learn Cloud-related technologies and approaches, as well as additional business-focused streams open to students of Commerce, Journalism and Media Studies.
Summer Schoolers who sign up to learn the new Cloud skills offering will benefit from Microsoft’s commitment to learning through their 12-month Microsoft Azure Free Account, or their free Office 365 licensing programme for students – all supported by immedia’s methodology of coaching and mentorship to get started in this new space.
To further stimulate and support emerging entrepreneurs’ awareness of the digital tools and services that drive productivity and innovation in the fields of Commerce, Journalism and Media Studies, the programme now offers mentorship in consumer-centric technology areas such as online content creation, social media etiquette, modern workplace tools, and cyber-security awareness.
Summer School is open between 4 November 2019 and 28 February 2020, offering a week-long work experience to all students and job-seekers, of any age or skill level. For those who cannot attend Summer School at immedia’s Umhlanga headquarters during working hours, bi-monthly Open Nights will be held over the period, welcoming attendees from different designations to join their growing community and participate in ongoing conversations aimed at empowering the next generation of young professionals and entrepreneurs.
Since its inaugural intake in 2013, the work exposure programme has become a hugely-anticipated event in the academic calendar. After six intakes, the programme has empowered over 300 students, graduates and professionals from communities in and around the KwaZulu-Natal province and has gained support from many local schools and tertiary institutions including the Durban University of Technology (DUT), the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), and Varsity College.
Dr Bethel Mutanga, lecturer within MUT’s Department of Information and Communication Technology noticed that “…students who’d attended Summer School came back with improved social skills and seemed far more mature and career-focused than their peers. It was almost as if Summer School had triggered something in them, impacting not only their technical skills, but also other skills necessary for the workplace.”
The immedia ecosystem has a track record of skills development within the city, having created global mobile dev competency through their skilling programmes throughout their 25-year history. In addition, immedia’s focus on skills creation has resulted in dozens of jobs for local graduates and, through initiatives like Summer School, has helped them transform their own female technical capacity to over 30% and growing.
immedia’s innovation has been recognised by The Innovation Agency and the National Science and Technology Forum and their business sustainability and values have been supported by Microsoft South Africa and the Department of Trade & Industry in a programme that aims to create employment, generate revenue, and create intellectual property within the country.
If you’re interested in attending Summer School, or know someone who might be, please register at this link: www.summerschool.org.za/register
