Technology (ICT) students heading for training in India
27 May 2007
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka bid farewell to 31 students, who
have left for India to be trained in ICT, over the weekend.
Due to South Africa's skills shortage, India has heeded the call of the
Deputy President to assist South Africa in skills development in sectors such
as ICT, engineering and hospitality. The programme was made possible through a
partnership between the governments of South Africa and India through Saytam
Computer Services, an ICT company in India that is also listed on the New York
Stock exchange, and Ramco Systems based in Durban.
The students that have been chosen though a robust selection process have
spent 3 or 4 years on a computer science or information technology degrees. The
fact that none of the students have had any formal on the job training was one
of the requirements for selection. The students will be subjected to intense
training for a 12 months period where each will have a mentor who is an expert
in the field. The first six months the students will be trained in a technology
of their choice.
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka appealed to the young trainees to be
good ambassadors of South Africa during their stay in India. "I only want to
hear good reports about your progress. This is an opportunity for which many of
your peers would give an arm and a leg," said the Deputy President.
She advised them that because India like South Africa was a developing
nation there would be challenges that they will face. She urged them to be
strong and focus on the main objective, which is to learn.
Mlambo-Ngcuka said there were over 30 000 vacant ICT posts in the country;
she said the students would come back to fill those posts. This is a Joint
Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa) project championed by the
Independent Development Trust (IDT) mandated by the Deputy President to
implement the placement of students in various countries. Some of the recent
overseas placements include a batch of 20 middle management candidates, who are
now in France for a two-year-stint sponsored by the French company Areva.
Mercedes Benz has also taken 12 young graduates to Stuttgart, Germany, for
training who they will employ upon their return to South Africa.
Enquiries:
Thabang Chiloane
Cell: 082 888 8783
Issued by: The Presidency
27 May 2007
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)
