The City of Jo’burg held an induction ceremony for the first 250 digital interns of the 1 000 it plans to train this year under its JEDI (Jo’burg Educating Digital Interns) programme, to enable them to become employable or start SMMEs.
The group was selected from a group of 600 applicants who motivated why they should be selected via online platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.
JEDI was launched in February this year. The successful interns will be able to choose between courses on Network Engineering, Web Development or Fibre Engineering.
The initial programme will run over 10 months, offering four months of boot camp type technical training and six months in-service training within the City of Johannesburg and some of the country’s leading digital enterprises. The intention is to run this every quarter over the next 16 months.
Zolani Matebese, head of broadband at the City of Johannesburg, says that the City’s investment is significant not only in terms of financial outlay, but that it has significant potential to transform the lives of the interns and lives of Jo’burgers.
“We are about enriching the lives of the people who live in Jo’burg. Mayor Tau was clear that the City of Jo’burg would give particular attention to those economic activities and sectors that will position Jo’burg as a global city of the future. These first 250 interns represent tangible action to back this up.
“The leadership and innovation training has begun and the students have high levels of energy and appreciation to be on the largest learnership programme the City of Johannesburg have embarked on,” says Matebese.
Interns who choose the Network Engineering course will obtain either Microsoft or Cisco credentials. The Web Design & Development course will teach the interns how to build HTML pages with text, links, images, tables, and forms, how to use style sheets (CSS) for colours, backgrounds, formatting text, page layout, and even simple animation effects.
The fibre optical certification validates an individual’s ability to deploy optical communications. The course includes fibre layout, splicing, and testing. Finally, all students conclude the programme with personal development training which equips them with the foundational skills to either enter the corporate market or start their own business as a Jozi entrepreneur.
The minimum requirements for entry into the programme are:
* A matric level pass with Mathematics and Science; or
* A national diploma (or equivalent); and
* Must be a resident of Johannesburg.
Applications for the next intake will open in May.