• Tech firm Altron has launched an initiative to bring work experience and hopefully permanent employment to South African youth.
• As part of its 2023 IT Services graduate programme, 80 youths will be spread across Altron businesses to receive real-world experience.
• Altron says that more than 80 percent of these graduates could find permanent employment with the company.

Technology solutions firm Altron says that it wants to fast-track the careers of 80 South African graduates interested in the tech sector as part of its newly launched 2023 IT Services graduate programme. The end goal being to get young people started in jobs in the IT field.

According to an announcement from the firm, the programme is designed to empower recent graduates with the skills and experience they need to embark on exciting careers in the tech sector. Altron hopes the initiative will have some meaningful impact on the lives of the graduates, with each that takes part set to receive individual attention and support.

This is all in the hopes of addressing South Africa’s record unemployment rate. Joblessness sits at around 32 percent of the total population as of August 2023, with the youth being the most-affected group of people. Public organisations, and private ones such as Altron, have launched initiatives to bring jobs to youths.

Those young people who take part in the programme are set to be upskilled by Altron, as they will be placed in different business units across its organisation including Altron’s IT Services including Altron Systems Integration and Altron Karabina. Here they will gain on-the-job practical experience in the realms of IT, data and AI workforce management, and software engineering.

“Key to any South African business is the need to upskill and build a talented workforce, a commitment that tackles two of the most pressing challenges facing the country right now – unemployment and skills development,” says Phumzile Hlatshwayo, head of Human Capital across Altron’s IT Services businesses. 

“While at their core, organisations strive for profits and results, companies need to focus on building graduate programmes that focus on the core principles of skills development, managerial skills, coaching, and personal confidence,” Hlatshwayo explains.

“These, like the one currently in place at Altron, prioritise people and show how the organisation values their contributions to the business.”

Eventually, Altron says that more than 80 percent of the graduates it takes as part of the programme will join the company full-time with jobs in the IT field.

“The tech sector has the potential to offer substantial employment opportunities in South Africa, contributing to economic growth and innovation. This graduate programme further illustrates Altron’s substantial commitment to nurturing young talent, while addressing the growing demand for skilled professionals,” adds Collin Govender, managing director of Altron Systems Integration & Altron Karabina.

[Image – Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash]