Outline

The aim is to build human capacity in rural communities through the careful and planned use of Information Technology. As pioneers of this initiative, IMI and UniSchool believe that it will contribute considerably to the socio-economic development of South Africa. 

Our Sustainable Development Initiative (SDI) comprises two cycles of four distinct phases.
Each cycle of four phases involves 30 candidates:

1. Selecting 30 suitable candidates who are unemployed, previously disadvantaged individuals.

2. Training the selected candidates.

3. Employing 10 of the trained candidates with UniSchool.

4. Empowering communities through the establishment of rural community development centres with the assistance of this select group.

The first cycle of the SDI would typically start in January and the second cycle would start in July. Phases 1 - 3 are completed during each six-month period, while Phase 4 runs over a twelve-month period. Phase 4 of the first cycle would therefore start in July of the first year, while Phase 4 of the second cycle would start in January of the second year.

Phase 1:  Selection

An advertisement in The Star of 10 October 2001 invited applications from previously disadvantaged individuals for the free training programme. Applicants had to be unemployed and in possession of a matriculation certificate. From the 186 applications received, 100 candidates were selected and submitted to a battery of competency tests (approved by the Department of Labour). The testing took place from the 10th to the 14th of December 2001 and was administered by a registered clinical psychologist. 

Phase 2:  Training

Based on the results of the tests, a group of 30 was selected to embark on the intensive, free training programme.  The programme consisted of two parts

Firstly, candidates received technical training in the following areas:

Module One: Basic Computer Literacy Skills
Module Two: Advanced Computer Literacy Skills
Module Three: Fundamentals of Business and Economics
Module Four: Communication Skills. 

Secondly, they received training to prepare them to act as trainers and entrepreneurs to start new businesses in disadvantaged communities. 

Phase 3:  Employment

During the training of the candidates we have actively investigating possible disadvantaged communities where our training/development centres could be established. Selection criteria were based on the profiles of communities identified by candidates, and a final selection attempted to match selected candidates with communities.  The result of phase 3 has been an offer of employment by UniSchool to ten candidates to act as facilitators at three training/developemnt centres in the selected communities.

Phase 4:  Empowerment

In the next phase the established centres will be developed as training and innovation hubs, providing Information Technology training and creating job opportunities for the local communities.  We are now at the end of phase 3 and will soon start phase 4 of the project. 

It is important to note that the training/development centres will not be established to earn money for IMI / UniSchool - rather, the explicit objective is to steer the centres towards self-sufficiency and sustainability. Our objective is therefore to guide and assist the communities towards ownership of the centres, and to assist in the transformation of the centres from initial training centres into small business development hubs. Examples of small business activities we foresee to grow out of the training centres are: computer printing services, business accounting services, information services and computer hardware and software services.

IMI / UniSchool will also introduce schemes to enable local individuals, who cannot afford the cost of training, to attend courses offered at the centres.

 

Background

Progress Report