Congratulations to the Graduates!
CapaCiTi is proud to aid in the development of a digital economy that is inclusive and diverse. South African youth often come from challenging backgrounds with minimal opportunities. These students are people who might have the aptitude for a career in tech, who either cannot afford to study formally towards a qualification or are unaware of the alternative learning opportunities that are available to them. We are striving towards ensuring that those that are often without access and marginalized are offered an opportunity to increase their career prospects with relevant digital skills matched to the demands of the industry. Over the years, CapaCiTi has proudly produced candidates that have gone on to have illustrious digital careers.
We partnered with National Treasury Jobs Fund, Naspers Labs, Accenture in South Africa and supported by Salesforce in South Africa and their Talent Alliance programme in pioneering the #SkillsToSucceed initiative. The Skills2Succeed Academy is an initiative aimed at supporting and empowering people to take on the shifting workplace landscape. There is currently a real demand for Salesforce skilled professionals in Africa and we are providing young people with new upskilling opportunities that are altered around existing careers and personal responsibilities, helping to level up their capabilities and map out further career paths.
The partners are working together to reduce unemployment, grow skills capacity and provide opportunities to young South Africans by training and skilling a minimum of 150 candidates over 12 months.
The journey of our second cohort
The second Skills2Succeed cohort started in February of 2022. The 4-month programme included face-to-face on-campus learning and online learning delivered through the Salesforce Trailhead virtual boot camp. This also included technical learning, application of skills learnt through real-life problem statements and personal development initiatives. Candidates also earned a generous stipend throughout the period, which offers a competitive incentive to succeed. All equipment, access to networks, support and infrastructure were delivered in a live campus environment, weekly from 9am to 5pm.
There were 1 410 applications received from youth hoping to participate in the Skills2Succeed Programme and of these applications, 62% of them were female and 38% were male. 242 proceeded to assessment stage of the recruitment process and only 50 applicants were accepted into the programme. This cohort went on to take the Salesforce App Builder Certification Exam and achieved a 100% pass rate. CapaCiTi is extremely proud of our candidates and the level of certification they achieved. We believe in the youth of South Africa and see them as very talented individuals. Our candidate’s success reinforces our, and our partners, faith in them. The recent success of our second cohort has now resulted in the Skills To Succeed initiative being the first of its kind in Africa and are credited with training 40% of the South African Salesforce App Builder certified individuals currently in the market place.
“CapaCiTi believes that the potential of young South Africans can be fully recognised through the right support. Our candidates put in so much work to get something like this across the line, with many struggles, lows, and tears, but the effort put in has cumulated in an achievement that truly inspires others. The young people in this cohort have shown exceptional tenacity and dedication. While individuals are receiving certification, they have succeeded together. We are incredibly proud of the team behind the superstars and grateful for the support of all partners involved, especially Salesforce, Naspers Labs, and Accenture. Every single one of these young people had to step up and fully embrace the opportunity and this is the result of them doing just that”
– Chanel Oldfield, Operations Executive at CapaCiTi.
Images from our graduation
More about CapaCiTi
CapaCiTi Digital Career Accelerator is the skills development arm of the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi), a non-profit company striving to build a future-fit, inclusive society through technology and innovation. CapaCiTi’s vision is to enable inclusive growth of the digital economy by ensuring a supply pipeline of future-fit, skilled employees with relevant digital skills matched to industry demand.
This is done through innovative training and experiential learning programmes that focus on both technical and professional development. We bring together expertise, technology and resources from industry, academia, government, and impact funders to develop young South African talent with in-demand skills, giving them a foundation for successful and fulfilling careers.
The work we do
Candidates receive blended training at our tech campuses via an online learning platform that promotes self-learning and group work as part of a holistic programme designed to develop digitally confident candidates. Industry mentors provide teams with a business challenge and ask them to investigate a solution and present it back to their mentors weekly. These activities enhance teamwork, communication and create a culture of solution-driven design thinking.
The next Skills2Succeed cohort is set to start their journey! Follow us to see how more lives are changing.
Partner with CapaCiTi to affect real change and build successful futures by following this link.
