Students from the Ehlanzeni TVET College in Mpumalanga have been equipped with essential fourth industrial revolution (4IR) skills.
This, as the TVET college partnered with education facility Forge Academy & Labs and the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA) to offer skills development and training via a learnership programme.
Twenty-five students graduated from a learnership programme designed by Forge Academy & Labs, and hosted at the college's 4IR centre at Mlumati Campus, Nkomazi.
Designed to impart IT fundamentals, introduce concepts of 5G technology, and cultivate skills in digital business creation, the learnership programme covers key 4IR technologies such as robotics, 3D printing, virtual and augmented reality, as well as artificial intelligence.
“We are pleased to see the success of our collaboration with Ehlanzeni TVET College and MICT SETA, which witnessed the establishment of a 4IR centre at Mlumati Campus, Nkomazi,” says Tariq Shurmah, COO of Forge Academy & Labs.
“This initiative empowers young individuals in Nkomazi with essential 4IR skills, enabling them to become catalysts for change in their communities.”
Powered by Finnish telecoms giant Nokia, Forge Academy & Labs is the brainchild of social entrepreneurs Arthur Wade Anderson and Craig Clutty.
Proclaiming itself as SA’s “Harvard for 4IR”, Forge focuses on technology and innovation, as well as upskilling unemployed and underemployed youth.
Under the leadership of principal Elias Mbuyane, Ehlanzeni TVET College offers 4IR education in the Ehlanzeni region. The college’s partnership with Forge and MICT SETA aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among the province's youth.
Mbuyane emphasised the importance of the learnership programme's dual focus on theoretical learning and practical application, ensuring participants thoroughly understand 4IR technologies while fostering creativity to address societal challenges.
“Ehlanzeni TVET College remains committed to driving innovation and excellence in 4IR education, empowering the youth to become agents of change in the digital age,” says the principal.
The students celebrated their achievements with a graduation ceremony and participated in a hackathon to showcase their innovative digital business solutions.
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