- 115 students in Mpumalanga have successfully completed a Coding and Robotics programme.
- The programme was launched in 2022 and aimed to equip young people with the skills needed to thrive in the modern world of work.
- The Telkom Foundation says it will be upgrading facilities at two schools in Mpumalanga to expose more learners to coding and robotics.
This week, the Telkom Foundation honoured 115 students in Mpumalanga who made it through a three-year Coding and Robotics course successfully.
Launched in two schools in Mpumalanga in 2022, the programme sought to equip young people with digital literacy skills and the tools needed to be economically active and ultimately, find employment in a digital world. The programme was certified by IBM and IC3.
Students were able to attend classes during school holidays. The programme included modules on technical, business and other soft skills needed to succeed in the working world.
“In order to be able to use technology in meaningful, creative, and practical ways, young people must be ‘digitally ready,’ which includes having the technical know-how as well as critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills to go out and find or create opportunities for themselves.,” said Judy Vilakazi, executive for Corporate Social Responsibility at the Telkom Foundation.
Aside from the programme, the Telkom Foundation is also upgrading facilities at two schools in Mpumalanga. These facilities will include custom-building coding and robotics labs. Teachers will also be trained so that they can work coding and robotics into their curriculum.
Integrating coding and robotics into the school curriculum is critical in preparing future generations of young people for the rapidly changing world of technology and especially as artificial intelligence worms its way into every facet of the professional world.
Teaching youngsters how to use and create technological solutions can not only assist them and their communities, but also the world at large. Just this week, we showcased how the RAIL Lab at Wits University is using robotics, machine learning and AI to map dangerous areas. By helping youngsters in rural and impoverished areas, there is the potential for these youngsters to create solutions to major problems that impact their communities directly.
“The Telkom Foundation congratulates each of the learners on this great accomplishment and looks forward to seeing many more young people go through the programme,” Vilakazi concluded.
Congratulations to the learners and we hope to see more initiatives like this from the Telkom Foundation and others in the future.
Brendyn Lotz
htxt.co.za
