Samsung Electronics South Africa awards top achievers

This is part of the company’s broader goal to develop skilled electronics technicians and engineers across the country.

The academy, which was launched five years ago, aims to bridge the skills gap that is occasioned by lack of resources.

So far the academy has seen students graduate with hands-on, practical skills at no cost, enabling them to move into workplaces after they graduate.

To date, 39 of the 214 students have already been placed at Samsung repair centres.

Samsung South Africa vice president and managing director, Sung Woo Han, said: “The academy’s primary goal is to develop technicians, technologists and engineers across the country, to address the critical technical and engineering skills shortage that exists in the job market.

“As Samsung we shape the future with transformative ideas and technologies. As a result the desire to equip young people with to latest global technological skills to help them compete effectively in the job market is what drives us to initiate such noble ideas.”

He said the African continent faces a critical shortage of technical and engineering skills.

“The continent’s young people also fall behind in physical sciences and engineering.

“Part of Samsung’s social and business responsibilities is therefore to promote sustainable social development that supports communities where we operate,” Han said.

The academy is part of Samsung’s global Hope for Children initiative, which places a strategic focus on bringing attention to the worldwide need for childhood education and health care in an effort to improve communities worldwide.