Walter Sisulu University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Institutional Support; Dr Prince Jaca proudly owned the University’s contribution to digital skills development in rural Eastern Cape, much to the provincial Premier’s delight.
This falls on the backdrop of the Microsoft Virtual Innovation Hub official launch recently held at WSU’s Komani Health Resource Centre.
The hub forms part of an empowerment partnership alongside WSU and the NEMISA e-Skills Colab to develop critical digital skills to build ICT capacity in individuals and small, medium and micro-enterprises.
“In line with the ‘WSU Vision’, we aim to be a ‘technologically infused’ University. When we say “technologically infused” we are responding to the ushering era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its technological advancements that we see taking place. All of this is happening right here at home in Africa. And we want WSU to make an impact in the communities surrounding it,” said Jaca.
The e-Skills Colab initiative has successfully facilitated 130 face-to-face training sessions across the Eastern Cape Province over the past 12 months.
The provincial Premier, Honourable: Oscar Mabuyane, unreservedly commended WSU for its unwavering commitment and diligence as a strategic partner to the Premier’s Office and province.
“I’m encouraged that WSU is a strategic partner and we would love to see other institutions of higher learning participating and as active as WSU. Universities should no longer be ivory towers removed from the plights of our communities as we anchor our plans of research and development,” said Mabuyane.
Young people in the province are targeted through a basket of multi-sectoral technology, broadband and infrastructure priority projects as part of the hub.
Selected partners such as WSU will be selected to provide training required by the province for up to 100 interns.
An unemployed youth and proud beneficiary of the ICT for Rural Development e-Skills Colab, Zimkhitha Siyali, said such opportunities are there to empower the unemployed through building profiles, digital skills experience as well as business networking.
“Most of us have never been exposed to computers from an early age. This programme has helped us have a better understanding of how computers operate as well as the complexities of data analysis,” said Siyali.
WSU has also signed another agreement with Microsoft to look into Artificial Intelligence to re-skill university graduates.