Wipro, a leading global IT, consulting and outsourcing company, has announced plans to expand the intake of graduates for its successful internship programme in South Africa. Now in its second year, Wipro’s local internship programme in South Africa had enrolled 70 graduates in 2013 and this will be increased to 150 in 2014.
“The internship programme is becoming a crucial enabler of Wipro’s growth in Africa. For us, the programme is about nurturing talent for local leadership and ensuring that we have the right people on board – people who understand local culture, local markets and local customers across the African continent.
“We look for people that fit the entrepreneurial spirit of Wipro – those who have a willingness to learn and a creative and innovative bent of mind,” says Saurabh Govil, senior VP, Human Resources, Wipro.
Internship applicants (BSc students with a specialisation in Mathematics and Science) from disadvantaged backgrounds are put through a process of entrance exams and interviews with local Wipro leadership to test attitudes to learning in addition to technical aptitude.
Post completion of the initial three months of theoretical training the interns are interviewed for an apprentice role on a number of live projects. Once placed, the interns will receive supervised on-the-job training and mentorship for a further three months. The performance records will be reviewed and qualifying interns will be absorbed into Wipro’s operations in South Africa.
“The programme gives the interns a chance to work on ‘live’ client projects, to gain in-depth experience in everything from software development and project management, to client relationships, and crisis management,” says Govil.
“The programme offers a very high chance of being absorbed into the company – the first batch of 30 interns from 2013 is now employed full-time at Wipro. This program literally opens up a world of opportunities to work on projects wherever Wipro operates.”
Interns are assigned mentors, and receive weekly feedback and undergo periodic assessments on their performance. The overall curriculum has been designed to bridge the gap between campuses and the industry, and covers both technical and behavioural aspects.
In addition to South Africa, Wipro has an “India Gateway” internship programme for the United Kingdom wherein Wipro gives the interns an opportunity to spend nine months in India to gain hands-on industry experience. The local internship programme is also being expanded to Germany and the Nordic Region, which are important markets for Wipro.