Big-four bank Absa has donated 130 refurbished laptops to CapaCiTi, the digital skills accelerator owned by non-profit organisation UVU Africa Group.
According to a statement, the handover, which took place in Salt River, Cape Town this week, seeks to address the deficit of laptops, which have become an important requirement in helping to build digital skills – yet many students cannot afford them.
Absa says its relationship with UVU Africa is ongoing, having recently partnered with CapaCiTi on two initiatives that aim to empower the youth through work experience and learning.
The objective of the first initiative is to close the Salesforce skills gap and provide candidates with thorough knowledge and a practical understanding of cloud computing.
The second programme, which commenced in January, will look at critical skills, such as software development and testing. Candidates will go through six months of learning and a further 12-month placement period at software development training non-profit Younglings Academy and at Absa.
“The majority of the candidates who are part of these initiatives come from economically underprivileged areas, so the laptops donated will be used to support them in their journey,” says Johnson Idesoh, Absa Group CITO.
“This donation will ensure we enable the candidates’ learning by providing access to laptops during weekends and in the evenings. This is something they didn’t have before and it will allow for continuous learning and code writing without interruption.”
Over the past decade, UVU Africa has made a continued effort to build a future-fit, inclusive society through technology and innovation.
The non-profit says it envisions a future where all Africans can become part of the digital economy. It is doing its part to realise this, through its partnerships with organisations that are tackling the digital skills gap in SA and putting youth at the heart of the solution.
Ian Merrington, group CEO of UVU Africa, says the laptops received will be allocated to the CapaCiTi Cape Town campus, CapaCiTi Braamfontein campus in Johannesburg, as well as the Khayelitsha Bandwidth Barn hub in Khayelitsha.
“Our partnership with Absa is one that we believe will continue to yield great results, providing learners with the tools to continually grow in their learnership programmes and ultimately giving them the opportunity to be hopeful again.
“There’s nothing that is as impactful as making a difference in someone’s life. These computers aren’t just any equipment, but a symbol of a new chapter to unlocking new possibilities,” notes Merrington.
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