BCX is looking to do its part when it comes to getting more data scientists involved in the local technology landscape.
This as the Telkom-aligned company has announced a three-year long multi-million Rand agreement with the EXPLORE Data Science Academy (EDSA) to train 300 aspiring data scientists.
It is not the first time that the pair have worked together on such an initiative, with BCX being a founding sponsor of EDSA, committing over R50 million in 2017. To date, over 400 learners have benefitted from its sponsorship as a result.
“Data science skills are highly sought after globally and South Africa is no different. Over 90 percent of graduates of the EXPLORE Data Science programme find employment within three months of graduation. These jobs typically start at around R240 000 a year,” notes Shaun Dippnall, founder and CEO of EDSA.
“Our intention was to provide relevant skills training at scale that would both address the demands of the 4IR-driven economy as well as Africa’s massive youth unemployment,” he adds regarding the involvement of BCX five years ago.
The data scientists in question will be taking part in EDSA’s 12-month long learnership.
While the 300 sponsored students are likely spoken for, those interested in the courses that EDSA has to offer should know that there are no restrictions to entry, nor are formal qualifications required. Applicants just need to be between 17 to 35 years of age and pass a challenging aptitude test on the academy’s website.
The EXPLORE Data Science Academy also calls on other organisations to follow BCX’s lead and look to sponsor students, with more information on how to do so available here.
