Johannesburg - A training initiative that will see 100 young South African graduates equipped with vital 5G skills and insights has been launched.
Huawei, with the Youth ICT Council, will equip these graduates with the skills they need to make the most of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).
Speaking at the launch, Dr Albert Lysko of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) underlined howkey increased broadband access and speed is for socio-economic development.
“The last year has shown just how critical broadband is, especially when it comes to the evolution of education and work. The importance of connectivity will only grow in the coming years. The information requirements for sensors on things like self-driving cars, smart objects and factory componentsmean that we’ll need ever-increasing levels of connectivity and bandwidth. 5G is an important element … and building the networks behind it will take widespread skills development.”
Kian Chen, deputy chief for Huawei SA, said the brand was committed to growing South Africa’s 4IR skills.
“We fully understand how big a driver technology is for social and economic transformation. We are also aware of the importance of developing talent and supporting South Africa’s ICT skills. Our 4IR training programme, run in conjunction with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, is targeting more than 6 000 learners, who are either post-graduate ICT students or practitioners,” he said.
Chen added that young people must become agents of their own futures.
Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams said: “Government has a clear commitment to developing an economy that has the necessary technology and skills to compete globally. Huawei has been a valuable partner not just in building the infrastructure that South Africa needs, but also through programmes such as this one, developing the skills required to build a highly developed digital economy.”
ICT Youth Council president Luvo Grey said part of its responsibilities is to co-ordinate ICT stakeholders to ensure youth inclusion in the sector and efforts to enhance human capacity for the 4IR.
“The Youth ICT Council’s strategic partnership with Huawei is informed by how it invests extensively in technology development and is able to stay ahead of the market with regards to providing the latest technological solutions while advocating for broader inclusion in the digital economy.”
The Star