Youth Exposed to Opportunities in IT

COVID-19 times or not, the opportunity to get more skills that will one day help you thrive continues. 

The Innovator Trust’s Young Entrepreneurs programme has just welcomed its fourth intake of beneficiaries for this year. 

Known as YEP, the programme started out in 2017 as a partnership between the Innovator Trust and Vodacom.

Its purpose is to upskill the unemployed youth and expose them to opportunities in the IT entrepreneurship sector. 

The trust to date has seen 103 young South African youths through its annual, one-year entrepreneurship programme. “Each year the aim has been to better the historic successes of the YEP programme, seeking out young talent with innovative, unique tech ideas as well as the grit and tenacity it takes to not only become a successful entrepreneur, but with an innate, deep desire to achieve the ambitious goals and dreams they’ve set for themselves. It is this X-factor characteristic we look out for when selecting candidates, particularly in a time such as this where it is easy to become despondent about the future,” said Tashline Jooste, CEO of the trust. 

Takalani Netshitenzhe, director of external affairs for Vodacom South Africa, said they strive to support initiatives, especially in technology that prepare the youth of Mzansi so they could adapt to skills of the future. 

“We remain committed to fighting youth unemployment, continuing our youth upskilling programmes and launching digital educational solutions to continue to move South Africa’s youth journey forward together,” said Netshitenzhe. 

He said young peole, aged between 15 and 24 make up 63,2% of the unemployed, compared to those aged between 25 and 34, who make up 41,2%. 

“For this reason, having the right digital skills remains critical to these young people’s prospects and is recognised as a key tool in human capital development,” said Netshitenzhe.

Article Source: www.dailysun.co.za