Page 12 - Service Delivery Review_Volume 14_Number 3_2022

Public Service Digital Skilling

Building the next ICT generation

Having come from humble beginnings growing up in Soweto, I believe in shaping the future
and enriching lives by developing and empowering young black women by both giving ac-
cess to education and showing what is possible in my career

o less than 34.4% of our “Our role as the facilitators of these 4IR4Her
citizens are unemployed, the learnerships benefits both parties. Prudence has heeded the call to
Nmajority of them (74.8%) youth For companies we handle the full empower women in ICT and is tak-
aged between 15 and 24. Combine suite of skills development solu- ing the lead through the 4IR4HER
this with the fact that South African tions necessary - hiring, SETA admin, movement. 4IR - the Fourth Industrial
businesses are facing a major skills reporting, mentoring, training, and Revolution, or Industry 4.0 - is the
deficit in the next generation of our placement - taking away the burden term given for the profound period of
workforce, and it becomes clear that of learnerships which is often a big transition we find ourselves in, with
organisations have an immense op- inhibitor to the process”, says Pru- the rapid changes to technology,
portunity to make an impact. dence. industry and societal patterns we see
due to increasing interconnectivity
Prudence Mabitsela, the 26-year- “Secondly, a challenge that we and smart automation.
old founder and Managing Director often hear businesses face when it As a democratising force, 4IR is
of Dynamic DNA, a leading training comes to employing young team potentially powerful and could pro-
and skills development company members is that the education they vide women with the opportunity to
empowering Africa’s ICT generation, have received is incomplete in terms compete in the knowledge economy.
believes that by employing more of soft skills such as communica- However, this will only happen if
youth in Information and Communi- tion and the etiquette to equip them
cations Technology (ICT), businesses, properly to be productive members
we can propel Africa into a brighter of a team. On the other hand, you
future, bridging the skills deficit of our have ambitious technically qualified
workforce, closing the gender divide, young workers who - due to inexperi-
and helping to narrow the unemploy- ence - are unable to get a start in the
ment gap. industry.”

She shares three ways companies Dynamic DNA’s learnership pro-
can participate in advancing women gramme offers young learners the
in the industry: ability to pursue a career in the ICT
sector with special focus on upskill-
Learnerships ing and facilitating workplace place-
The challenge in learnerships is two- ment for their graduates. In addition
fold: firstly, companies have to deal to providing technical skills, the
with the administrative challenges company focuses on practical and
associated with SETA applications, soft skills such as communication
learnership hiring, management of skills, work etiquette, time manage-
the learner, training, reporting, admin- ment, presentation skills, and other
istration, documentary records, audit- elements essential to these young
ing and then the successful absorp- people in creating fulfilling careers.
tion or placement of the learner.
For companies employing young Dynamic DNA graduates can build
highly skilled individuals. This means innovative solutions across multiple
not only hiring employees with the technologies, both on-premises and in
necessary skills to improve their the cloud. They learn the skills to de-
businesses but also improving their sign and build agile applications in a
B-BBEE score, getting tax rebates, complex business environment mak-
and most importantly, creating a ing them a valuable asset to the work-
sustainable transition into the digital force.
economy.

12 Volume 14 No.3 of 2022 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW