by Hugh C.n. Miller | Feb 22, 2021 | Old News
The Digital Workplace Readiness Program by Absa and ORT SA: Fighting Unemployment by Equipping the Youth With Relevant Skills
With the unemployment rate sitting at 30.8% in South Africa, the youth are facing more challenges in finding employment than ever before. This is due to the devastating effects that the coronavirus has had on the South African economy. ORT SA, in line with its mission of making people employable, ran the Digital Workplace Readiness Program sponsored by ABSA at the end of 2020. The program focussed on helping the youth acquire digital skills to enable them to find a job in an evolved digitized workplace.
In this article, we try and unravel the impact that this program has had on the youth.
The Digital Workplace Readiness Program
The Digital Workplace Readiness Program was a three-month program that started from September to November 2020. The program’s purpose was to remotely upskill and educate unemployed youth by using globally recognized educational platforms (such as Cisco, WHO and LinkedIn). Besides, ORT courses provided film making, graphic design and work readiness training. The program managed to recruit, a staggering number of 396 individuals in a short period. Despite the various challenges throughout the program, the students diligently completed their tasks.
What People Had to Say
Victor Sibusiso Ndlovu, a beneficiary, had this to say about his experience with the program: I didn’t know that this program could bring about some abilities that I wasn’t aware of initially. I’ve improved my graphic designing skills, project management skills, and communication skills. I did various courses, and I’ve gained a lot of experience. It is the most incredible program that I’ve joined this year, and I’m looking forward to more opportunities.
Thenjiwe Sibiya, one of the program’s facilitators, had this to say: “Students showed much dedication and commitment, they grab the opportunity with both hands. Some students went the extra mile and did more than the required courses.”
Conclusion
In partnership with ABSA, ORT SA is proud to impact youth involved in the programme, as various institutions have already employed some of the youth due to their newly gained skills. Without fail, this program has educated people for a better life.
by Milani Falitenjwa
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Feb 22, 2021 | Old News
Photo by princess on Unsplash
To the Matric Class of 2020, a Message from Ariellah Rosenberg, CEO ORT SA
The matric results in South Africa are about to be published today. This post is for those youth waiting for the “final verdict”.
Your marks don’t define who you are and what you are capable of achieving!
12 years of schooling and all the experience, memories, knowledge and skills you gained come to one thing:
A number.
A figure that summarises in a digit or two the years you attended classes, memorised formulas, forgot your vocabulary, read prescribed books, summarised notes, sweated, shed some tears, cheated…
And it all comes to an end when you anticipate, heart pounding, the final results.
These are stressful times, now more than ever. You hear about the soaring unemployment rate due to Covid 19 and fear being a statistic. You may have registered to university with a specific objective in mind or just for the sake of getting a degree, or you may still be struggling with the decision of “what’s next”.
So let’s examine, possible worst-case scenarios, in that your marks don’t qualify you to enrol with your university or study of choice or that you are still in doubt of where to go from here. If you are in either of these positions, it is not the end of the world, although it may feel like it.
Remember, that your grades do not define who you are and what you are capable of doing.
Give it time, maturity and hard work. Be proactive, seeking ways you can achieve your goals or finding your purpose in life. It may not be in the time period you’ve planned it to be, but the time spent in learning and gaining work experience is not lost. On the contrary…
Carry on learning and gaining skills. You’d be surprised at how many online courses are offered for free. (See the list at the end of this article).
Progress in technology is changing the work environment significantly. Upgrade yourself, gain skills that will stand you apart from the rest. Explore the current skills that the job market is looking for.
Work experience can get you far, almost as much as a certificate or diploma can. If you can’t find a job, volunteer. Build up your CV with experiences and newly gained skills, but most importantly, extend your network. Go beyond the Fs; Friends, Family, and reach out to acquaintances and connections that can be of help in advising, mentoring or directing you in the right direction.
What defines who you are and what you are capable of is you.
With the right mindset and openness to learning, the sky is the limit.
Free Courses we Recommend:
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Feb 22, 2021 | Old News
Photo by Robo Wunderkind on Unsplash
ORT and ORT SA’s Mission to Uplift Education and Teach Relevant Skills (Like Coding) to the Youth
How can we make today’s education curriculum relevant and up to date?
Some argue that while the many industrial revolutions and overall technological advancement have changed the way we do business, the education sector hasn’t caught up. When one enters a classroom today, it’s not too different from how (and what) we taught the youth in the 19th century when they were entering manufacturing and production driven workplaces.
The History of ORT
That’s why ORT, an educational NGO, was established in the midst of the 2nd Industrial Revolution. The goal has always been to evolve the nature and methods of education delivery so that they stay aligned with the technological changes facing our societies.
When ORT was established in 1880, it catered to the needs of the community and the job place, providing handicraft, agricultural and vocational training. It included courses such as teaching grain sifting, using knitting machines, auto mechanics and engineering courses. ORT’s goal has never changed, and to this day it remains to ensure the financial sustainability of communities, through education and skills development. ORT, through its 140 years has established schools and operations in over 60 countries specialising in STEM education and promoting entrepreneurship.
So when one wonders how to go about education in light of the transformation brought about by the 4th Industrial Revolution, it is natural to look at the worldwide network of ORT. Many schools in ORT’s network have incorporated coding and digital skills in their curriculum, enabling project-based learning through the incorporation of design thinking and problem-solving.
ORT in South Africa (ORT SA)
In South Africa, ORT SA has rolled out coding clubs in government schools attended by thousands of learners and assisted with building the educational capacity of hundreds of teachers since 2015. We teach people how to code, think analytically and think critically, along with technical skills relevant to today’s job market. Learning coding languages, application and website development also encourages teamwork, collaboration and finding solutions to community challenges proactively and innovatively.
To get education relevant and up to date, we need to transform the way we teach and adjust the curriculum we teach to our new generations accordingly. Coding and digital skills must become part and parcel of our curriculum, ensuring our youth are ready for the digital workplace.
To learn more about ORT SA you can go to www.ortsa.org.za
Or email helene@ortsa.org.za for BBBEE solutions
This article was written by Ariellah Rosenberg, ORT SA CEO
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Feb 22, 2021 | Old News
The Liquid Telecom and ORT SA YES Program Tackles Youth Unemployment in SA
Author, Matshona Dhliwayo once said, “Today’s tears water tomorrow’s gardens.”
One might say this adage hearkens back to the more common proverb that things get better over time, but there’s more to it than that.
In South Africa, we are plagued by a persistent pandemic of a different sort. A crisis of unemployment and a lack of education that festers like a disease at the heart of our society.
But it’s not all bad news. We’d like to highlight how upskilling and educating the youth can change lives and begin to bring an end to this issue.
The Liquid Telecom YES (Youth Unemployment Services) Program
The Liquid Telecom YES program, in collaboration with ORT SA, started on the 28th of February 2020 and will be ending on the 28th of February 2021. The purpose of the program was to uplift 32 young individuals by teaching them Office Administration and computer literacy skills. The program faced numerous setbacks due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but the outcome was still an overwhelming success.
The program consisted of one year of work experience where the youth were placed in schools where they underwent Google Computer Science Facilitation and learned about Office Administration amongst other workplace roles.
During the course of the program, the young participants were exposed to a wide array of courses including Microsoft Office skills, Work Readiness skills, Introduction to Coding and the internationally recognised IT Essentials by Cisco course. All of these courses were designed not only to educate participants but also to prepare them to work in today’s fast-paced technological workplace.
What People Had to Say About the Program
Omphemetse Neethline Khuduge, one of the beneficiaries, had this to say about her experience: “The Liquid Telecom project has changed me a lot. I have become more of [sic] a different person than I was two years back. I obtained knowledge that will help me as an IT Technician.”
When asked about the project results thus far, Junior Project Manager at ORT SA Rivario Abrahams had this to say: “Firstly, this project has changed the youth’s thinking ability and I feel that they have gained a lot of knowledge in the twelve months of this program. Some of them have learned to invest their money, and others have opened their small businesses. It was a great experience managing the project and the youth.”
Conclusion
In the same way, uneducation and employment can be thought of as a pandemic eating away at our country, we also have a “vaccine” against it. We need to uplift and equip young people with the skills they need to take control of their own lives and work towards a better tomorrow.
By Milani Falitenjwa
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Nov 1, 2020 | Old News
The Five G 4 Education
Education has been getting a lot of criticism for not fulfilling its purpose. Some even claiming, that schools are not preparing our children to the world of work and are ‘being out of touch of industry and skills demand’.
For education to fulfil its mission, I believe we need to look ahead at trends and respond to the skills and talent required. Keep renovating our curriculum and incorporate soft skills and mental coping tools.
I’ve categorized Some of the trends to consider in education policies and curriculum to the five Gs:
- Green economy
- Gender
- Generation (technology progress)
- Gaming
- Hygiene physical and mental
Lockdown and work from a home situation caused a significant reduction in usage of transportation and the plummet in petrol prices. This raised the awareness of the Green economy.
According to the Economist, (September 2020), a return to the “old world” post covid19 is unlikely. ‘Power in the 21st Century’ article, claims that as the public, governments and investors wake up to climate change, the clean – energy industry is gaining momentum. As an overview of the new energy system emerges, we have to examine the implications of education and skills development. Taking into consideration, professions related to renewable energy, such as solar and wind power.
In the ORT network, there are schools which incorporate programmes preparing youth towards this transformation. For example, Lyce’e ORT Strasbourg, offers a course to ensure students develop skills in analyzing and creating technical solutions to deal with issues related to energy, the energy efficiency of systems and their effect on the environment.
Gender biases and inequality have been brought into public attention in various ways, most recently with the #metoo movement.
An interesting finding by NICD-CRAM,(panel survey of South Africans tracking the impact of COVID-19), showed that women were disproportionally affected by the Covid19 crisis. They were more likely than men to lose their jobs, as well as taking a greater share of the additional child care as a result of school closure due to lockdown.
Over the years data has shown that globally, women are paid relatively less than men. I believe that to alter this inequality, we need to consider our curriculum and ways to raise awareness amongst our youth, from earlier on in their schools and career path.
At ORT SA, we run coding programmes promoting female participation and raising awareness to IT professions not “only as a profession for male”.
The progress of technology and 5G brought up the advance in generation technologies widening the digital gap even further.
How far technology can take us, can be left to our imagination and the innovators and dreamers amongst us. The more technology evolves, the more the gap between disadvantaged communities to more privileged ones expands. With poor infrastructure, lack of resources and lack of knowledge contributing to this growing gap.
ORT2Connect campaign calls on people to donate their second hand, unused devices to communities in need.
The ORT Digital Ready for work programme aims to equip the unemployed youth with digital skills required for the digitized workplace. Starting with digital skills (including collaboration skills) from an early stage at school will ensure the youth is equipped with and ready for the ever-changing world of jobs.
Global shutdown and people staying at hone increased the gaming industry. Some say that ‘The Games industry is now bigger than the movie industry worldwide’.
The available jobs in this industry require various professions; Game designers, animators, writers, video game testers, software developers, computer programmers, audio engineer’s interpreters and translators as well as a technical support specialist. Research shows that to get youth into these professions an early intervention and education needs to be incorporated from an early stage.
Upskilling youth from schooling level, one can ensure that these youth will have a high likelihood of being employable. Online gaming is not for entertainment solely and can be used for educational purposes, gamification in the workplace and social change.
The pandemic has impacted the way we watch our hygiene behaviour. In education, the focus has been on physical hygiene, ensuring kids adhere to washing their hands and keeping to healthy manners.
However, increasingly, we realize the importance of keeping checks with the kids’ mental health.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, more than 25% of teens ages 13-18 will experience any anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. This seems to be a global phenomenon and the importance of mental health and wellbeing in schools is moreover about developing coping strategies and providing tools.
COVID-19 has been a trigger to transformation in different sectors and industries. The education and skills development sector need to have a discussion on how we adapt and transform the offering so not to become redundant and affronted.
This article was written and published first by our CEO Ariellah Rosenberg on her blog called Ariellah’s Technoblog
