Nie Cele
Believe it or not! In an unprecedented twist! One of the fastgrowing and leading blue chip South African distributor of IT products Rectron has shown that its committed and serious about empowering youth, ICT innovations and the rolling out of the much needed consummate skills locally and internationally.
This time around Rectron has joined forces with drone manufacturer DJI to open the Rectron Drone Academy in Midrand, Johannesburg.
According to both stakeholders Initially the academy will offer three courses that touch on different aspects of drone proficiency.
“As the world moves towards a more digital economy, we need to ensure our youth have the right skills to take part in it,” said Andre Witbooi, Learning and Development Manager at Rectron.
“The Rectron Drone Academy aims to provide relevant training for a future-proof career in the drone space,” He added.
At the launch, Rectron CEO, Spencer Chen delivered a terse speech and told the audience Drones have been changing people’s lives around the world.
“As a caring company we want to train more people to come to this industry.”
A snappy statement circulated to the media stated the following.
“The drone industry is one of the fastest growing industries globally with an estimated market value of $100 billion according to Goldman Sachs. First developed for the military, drones made their way into the consumer space and are now growing in popularity in various commercial activities. As it stands the top three sectors that use drones are construction, agriculture and insurance. For many businesses who need to survey large areas, drones offer a cost-effective alternative to helicopters and aircraft.
The courses on offer include a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Maintenance Technician certification, Remote Pilot Licence and Beyond Visual Line of Sight certification. Each course takes between three to four months and will include theoretical elements as well as practical training.
“When it came to structuring the courses, we consulted with the NTSU Drone Academy and DJI to ensure students have the right foundations and training to forge a career path as a professional. All our courses are accredited with South African Civil Aviation Authority.”
To enrol, students need to have completed Matric. While maths and science are not pre-requisites to be accepted for a course, they are advantageous. The first cohort of five students have already started class on last week at the academy’s campus in Midrand.
On the sidelines Kutlwano Rawana, Chief of People at Rectron told this publication this was a milestone the company was proud of.
“At Rectron we believe in diversifying our products and we believe our business need to remain relevant,” Rawana pointed.
Pressed to elaborate further she said “The whole journey started in the Boardroom. Drone skills is key in driving a lot of things. Drones are the future and our company is the first to launch this academy.”
Rawana also revealed the academy will focus on the technical and piloting side.
“This is a proud moment for Rectron family,” She said.
Thandanani Manyathi, MICT SETA representative congratulated Rectron for this milestone and pointed out his organisation was in the space of technology advancement.
“What excites us is when role players do their part in especially by up skilling youth.”
Matthew Hall,one of the prominent speakers on the day told the audience skill development was needed in this space.
“Trying to get innovative skills will be an ongoing thing,” Hall pointed.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Rectron was established in 1995, the company has years of experience in understanding market challenges and is constantly expanding its products and service offering through trusted partnerships with leading ICT brands.
- As a wholly owned subsidiary of the JSE-listed Mustek Limited, Rectron has a broad national footprint with the ability to service resellers and retailers across southern Africa.
