SEBOKENG.-The Gauteng MEC for e-government, COGTA, and research and development Mzi Khumalo has urged scores of young people from the Sedibeng region to think beyond getting employment.
This was as Khumalo held the Youth Tech Expo at the Saul Tsotetsi Sports Complex in Sebokeng, where hundreds of young people gathered in hopes of getting opportunities to study further, get employment or to simply tap into the new world of technology, dubbed the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Khumalo told young people that while looking for employment opportunities, they could also consider tapping into entrepreneurship, building their own companies and create employment for people living in their communities.
“As the department of e-Government, we are here to raise awareness to our youth about the great power that ICT possesses in our lifetime. Everything now is technology. This Youth Tech Expo is a valuable platform to accelerate socio-economic development through ICTs as a critical enabler. The fourth industrial revolution has put us on an irreversible path of knowledge-based economy.
“As you are seated here, I am sure that a majority of you own gadgets, whether a cell phone or computer, you either use the internet or you are on social media. Whatever the case might be, your life is somewhat dependent on the use of technology. It is important that working with various stakeholders, we unlock ICT opportunities for you, so that you may be empowered. Our aim through this expo, is to assist you in developing your careers through opening up opportunities essential for your growth, whether in employment or entrepreneurship.
Stanley Rabasotho from EOH, an IT service management company, told young people that technology is the future.
“We joined this expo because we want to help increase the skills of the youth in Technology. We will be choosing some of the young people here to part take in our training in order to give them various skills presented by this fourth industrial revolution,” he said.
Nyari Samushonga, the CEO of Wethinkcode urged young women to challenge themselves and tap into the world of ICT.
During the expo, 10 young people from Sedibeng were selected to participate in a 16-month Coding course through the partnership with EOH and Wethinkcode.
