The eThekwini Municipality plans to send 30 learners to China for six months to be trained in information technology.
Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda made the commitment as he delivered his State of the City Address on Tuesday.
Kaunda said the City was delivering on its promise to train young people for jobs of the future.
“In our previous State of the City Address, we committed to introduce a bold IT skills development initiative, called the Isibani Solusha Programme. We are happy to report that this programme has commenced,” said the mayor.
To date, the City has been able to partner with Microsoft to deliver several programmes, he said.
These programmes include:
∎ Engaging 700 learners in KwaMashu where the City hosted a Tech Skills and Career Expo in partnership with Microsoft
∎ A Youth Artificial Intelligence Summit where 150 young people were introduced to the Digitisation of Museums and looking at the museums of the future.
∎ Delivered a two-day Hackathon on a Museum Artefacts Digital Platform for 135 learners.
Rolling out Artificial Intelligence, the eKasi and eMakhaya Education Programme will target 5000 young people from July to December this year.
“We hope these programmes of introducing young people to coding and software development will inspire them to pursue careers that are relevant to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“In collaboration with the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSETA), the municipality will send 30 learners to China for six months’ training in information technology,” he said.
Kaunda said the participants are 10 unemployed youth, 10 Information Technology SMMEs owners and 10 City employees from various service delivery units to learn how to use information technology to deliver quality services.
“This is the first programme of its kind where the City sends 30 people overseas for a period of six months. The programme commences in July this year with an investment of R45 million. South Korea has a similar programme and we are already in discussions to develop exchange programmes,” he said.
The Mercury