T-Systems in South Africa has re-launched its flagship ICT Academy in Johannesburg in a new centralised location and with an increased capacity.
The ICT Academy, which was originally established in collaboration with other ICT companies in 2003, now falls under the T-Systems Foundation and has been relocated in a larger premises near Johannesburg’s Gandhi Square. Average student intake at the facility is set to increase from 96 to 130 students per year.
In 2015, T-Systems will look to further increase intake at the academy to more than 200 students, as it aims to address the skills shortage in South Africa’s ICT industry.
Adre du Plessis, vice-president – strategy & transformation at T-Systems in South Africa, said, “Our new premises and larger ICT Academy will enable us to continue to further skills development, offering additional courses to greater numbers of students. The location of the new academy was carefully chosen for maximum accessibility for students using public transport as well as those with disabilities.”
The academy has made a number of courses designed to provide students with employable skills available, with its curriculum made up of 70 per cent theory and 30 per cent workplace practical experience.
Between 2003 and 2013, the academy produced a total of 1,502 internationally-certified IT graduates, and could boast of an average pass rate of 95 per cent and an overall employment rate of 85 per cent.
“ICT outsourcing at its heart is all about people, and one of the biggest challenges facing ICT companies in South Africa is a shortage of skilled professionals and specifically skilled professional women,” du Plessis remarked. “Addressing this skills shortage is something we feel passionate about, and with the re-launched ICTAcademy we are furthering our ability to create sustainable, effective transformation through ICT innovation.”
