Zolani Matebese, head of the city’s broadband council’s programme, said the city council planned to train 1 000 candidates each year as part of an ongoing training programme.
According to Matebese, the training was aimed specifically at young people with matric or an equivalent qualification, who had a passion and aptitude for technology but did not have an opportunity to branch into the field.
The trainees would participate in a 10-month programme, comprising four months of training, which included high level technology training allowing them to study specific areas of information technology. In addition, work readiness programmes would prepare them for the working environment, he said.
The remaining six months would be dedicated to job learning, during which the candidates would be involved in the city council’s operations to familiarise themselves with its IT network, and facilitate with community operations such as its Wi-Fi rollout.
Once the training was completed, some of the candidates may be absorbed by the city council while others could enter into the job market equipped as technology professionals and adding to the “talent pool” in the sector, he said.
It is one of the ways that the city council aims to reduce the jobs and skills gap and open the technology sector to previously disadvantaged communities, ensuring transformation by introducing young people, and women, into the sector, Matebese said.
Further, he said, “This is one of the ways we plan to facilitate socio-economic development within the City of Joburg.”
He said the city council was currently finalising the process by which it would select the candidates, adding that training would begin in September.
The project would be funded by the city council through a variety of methods.
“The city’s technology department has received training credits, which we decided that instead of using internally, would be used to benefit the community,” he said.
