Nie Cele
The old English adage “Caps off to you, Graduate, well done! Became a reality at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) when highly spirited 170 young people were capped and certified, thanks to Gauteng Department of e-Government in collaboration with the UJ.
Tears of joy and cavity free colgate smiles were the order of the session at the Sanlam Auditorium as the cohorts were called to accept their hard earned credentials on the stage.
This fast growing department falls under the tutelage of MEC, Mzi Khumalo who is famous for less talk and more work.
Furthermore e-Government is tasked to roll-out of a network infrastructure that will connect government facilities including schools, hospitals and is also entrusted with the modernising the public service to deliver efficient services to the Gauteng residents.
According to the department, these young people were enrolled with the department’s ICT and SMME training program which took place over a year, developed to empower the youth with essential ICT skills in the digital era. The program focused on Incubating digital start-ups by training and mentoring digital entrepreneurs who own Small and Medium Enterprises as well as developing ICT skills for unemployed youth (ages 14 to 35) through training and mentoring them.
The department’s Deputy Director General (DDG) of Information, Communication, and Technology & Support Services (ICTSS) Castro Mosina stated that under the program, 103 graduates completed the Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMME) Development Program, which aims at furthering their skills and capabilities within the entrepreneurial landscape. On the other hand, 67 graduates completed the ICT Skills Development Fourth Industrial Training that aims at equipping the youth with 4IR skills.
“The department continues to train and up-skill Gauteng youth who own small businesses as well as expose them to the ICT sector. The program was extended to the townships of Gauteng across all the 5 regions namely Westrand, Sedibeng, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, and Tshwane in order to equally distribute the opportunity and ensure that there is fairness. It is part of the department’s mandate to fight against unemployment” said Mosina.
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