Samsung South Africa’s two academies – Women Technical Programme and Boys to Men – saw 17 young people graduate from each one of these programmes. Coming from lower-income areas, these students have been trained and are ready to embark on their careers as mobile device technicians. The first qualification they received is a National Certificate: Wholesale and Retail and the second is a qualification that is Samsung accredited.
“We are exceptionally proud of these technicians, they applied themselves to the strenuous training and deserve this celebration. This is the second group to graduate from the Women Technical Programme and the first group from the Boys to Men programme to qualify,” said Richard Chetty, Director of Services at Samsung South Africa.
The programme is part of the leading consumer electronics brand’s responsible citizenship campaign to support communities around the world through propelling the growth and sustainability of regional economies. Learners need to complete an eight-month in-depth technical training course, this includes a month of in-service training. After gaining the technical knowledge they need, students are exposed to the public and are taught the ins and outs of client service. They then return to their training academies where Service Centres can offer the fully trained students permanent employment.
The skills programmes recruit students by calling for youngsters who have passed matric, to apply by submitting their CVs and indicating whether they have any technical interest or knowledge. Students receive a stipend from Samsung while they are studying towards their qualification and also receive a meal every day.
Samsung wants young people across the world to enjoy better education. We achieve this by creating learning opportunities through regionally tailored education programmes such as these.
“We provide learners with opportunities for a better future through these vocational training programmes, teaching them the skills they need to find work in the ICT sector. It is for this reason that we will next year extend the course to a one-year qualification and we plan to establish academies in Durban and Cape Town,” concludes Chetty.