T-Systems donates R3.7 funding sponsorship for establishment of Hazyview Digital Learning Centre
- In partnership with Good Work Foundation and Hosanna Church Community projects
- High level of training
- Utilise renewable energy
As part of T-Systems in South Africa’s Sustainable Enterprise Development programme, the company is investing R3.7 million towards the establishment of a world-class Digital Learning Centre in Hazyview; an initiative which will provide critical skills such as IT, Tourism and English to the community of Hazyview and surrounding areas in the Mpumalanga Province.
The Digital Learning Centre which will be managed by the Good Work Foundation (GWF) will focus on those individuals that have left the school system early or mature students who have not been able to obtain further education due to economic and other constraints. The education programmes will run parallel to the schooling systems and create access to world-class education for rural learners. In addition, learners will obtain practical skills preparing them for the world of work and allowing them to compete in a global environment.
The GWF is committed to bringing positive educational interventions to rural South African communities. Through the foundation’s education initiatives it assists and promotes the transformation that needs to take place in South Africa.
“The partnership between T-Systems in South Africa and the Good Work Foundation is creating a Digital Learning Centre that will be the first of its kind in South Africa, changing the way we approach education in our country,” says Dave Varty, Chairman of the Good Work Foundation.
The establishment of this Digital Learning Centre also falls in line with Minister for Basic Education, Blade Nzimande’s recently introduced green paper on post-school education and training which recommends expansion in all post-school institutional types such as further Education Training (FET) colleges, universities, adult education facilities and workplace-based training.
The paper proposes an increase in FET college enrolments from 400 000 to four million in 20 years.
The R3.7 million T-Systems founding sponsorship will go towards the start-up of the centre, the provision of HR and resources as well as curriculum alignment and assistance to ensure the centre meets the highest training standards.
Says Gert Schoonbee, MD of T-Systems in South Africa: “The Hazyview Digital Learning Centre will offer those individuals that have fallen through the cracks of the educational system a second chance to obtain the skills necessary to find employment and realise a better of quality of life.
“The centre underscores the goals of our Sustainable Enterprise Development programme which is to invest in a project that positively contributes to skills development in South Africa’s rural areas.”
The Hazyview Digital Learning Centre aims to use appropriate and renewable energy resources such as solar power to meet its daily energy requirements, as well as harvesting of water and the use of a grey water system, contributing to the overall sustainability of its operations.
Emphasising the centre’s commitment to educational excellence, it will employ retired educators who offer years of critical experience. These educators will work with and mentor young local educators. In addition, the Hazyview Digital Learning Centre will utilise relevant, accredited teaching programmes such as ABET, Molteno Project Method, Lets Sell Lobster and ICDL.
The centre is also aligned with the T-Systems sponsored CIDA City Campus ICT Academy curriculum and it is hoped to establish The Digital Learning Academy as a bona fide satellite campus in the near future.
“We will endeavour to stay abreast of new training initiatives while constantly looking at ways to digitise additional or new training courses. The advantages of online training are considerable as it allows the centre to draw in more students at a reduced cost as well as offer a variety of courses,” adds Schoonbee.
The Hazyview Digital Learning Centre is earmarked to launch in June 2012.
About Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with over 129 million mobile customers, 34 million fixed-network lines and approximately 17 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2011). The Group provides products and services for the fixed network, mobile communications, the Internet and IPTV for consumers, and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in around 50 countries and has over 235,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 58.7 billion in the 2011 financial year – more than half of it outside Germany (as of December 31, 2011).
About T-Systems
Drawing on a global infrastructure of data centers and networks, T-Systems operates information and communication technology (ICT) systems for multinational corporations and public sector institutions. T-Systems provides integrated solutions for the networked future of business and society. The company’s some 48,200 employees combine industry expertise and ICT innovations to add significant value to customers’ core business all over the world.
T-Systems generated revenue of around EUR 9.2 billion in the 2011 financial year.
Since the inception of T-Systems in South Africa in 1997, the company has cemented its position as one of the most successful T-Systems companies outside of Europe. A leading ICT outsourcing service provider locally, T-Systems offers end-to-end ICT solutions in both the ICT Operations and Systems Integration markets. Their extensive portfolio of services covers the vertical, horizontal, IT and TC space. T-Systems South Africa’s head office is located in Midrand with another major office in Cape Town, and 20 further representative offices in locations throughout southern Africa.
