JOHANNESBURG - Accenture and CodeX are co-developing a skills development programme to equip South African youth with the skills required to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) economy, Accenture South Africa said this week.
It said the initial class of the one-year coding programme was designed to address the country’s key economic growth imperatives, including unemployment.
“As one of the country’s digital accelerators, we are witnessing a resurgence in demand for custom, bespoke software development skills within larger enterprises,” said Vukani Mngxati, the chief executive of Accenture South Africa.
“This demand places an additional strain on the country’s already limited pool of qualified and experienced Java engineers, whom Accenture also needs for its own projects with clients. Its vital that we develop adaptable and transferable skills that prepare youth for the dynamic workplace of the future and remain applicable as jobs and industries evolve.”
The initial class consists of 21 non-degreed and unemployed youths, based in Cape Town, who have passed matric. “They were selected following a two-week activation in underprivileged communities and an online boot camp that determined aptitude and identified those with a learning mindset,” it said.
Accenture said it would offer access to its facilities around the country to scale the project to other major centres, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, the Free State and the North West. Enrolled students will be able to sign up and access the platform remotely, enabling them to complete the first module from anywhere in the country before progressing to the practical phase, for which they need to attend classes in person.
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