Youth Day earlier this month highlighted the question of what opportunities there are for young people in SA, especially with such a high youth unemployment rate. As consistent and quality education in SA remains a challenge, the role of technology and IT skills are vital in helping to educate young people.
The private sector is getting increasingly involved in mentoring young people. The scarcity of much-needed IT skills means companies such as Syspro mentor and train young people themselves, as they find tertiary institutions can be lacking in giving them the business context and the on-the-job training necessary for them to succeed.
We at Syspro find that part of our challenge is to help interns bridge the gap between their theoretical knowledge form tertiary institutions, and how to apply this knowledge in a practical manner in training. Training the students in how our ERP ecosystem works and adds value to business also adds to their skillset and boosts their employment prospects.
Not only does the company teach interns software development and testing; It also hosts a course teaching students the skills required for IT product support and services. Here they learn how to support the software in addition to more general business skills, like the art of selling and giving effective presentations and how businesses are run and can benefit from our technology.
Students are also taught basic business facts such as how a warehouse operates or what a requisition slip is, to give them the necessary business context to operate effectively. They are also given life skills and orientation courses including business reading and writing.
Syspro also partners with universities, for example the University of Johannesburg, to assist and train interns toward a brighter and more sustainable future in the IT industry.
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