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Johannesburg - New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed technology company Wipro is injecting R3.8m into skills development and job creation efforts in South Africa.
Wipro, which has a Johannesburg office, specialises in IT, consulting and business process services.
The company also has a global workforce of over 150 000.
“This investment will be utilised for local hiring and skills development,” said Wipro in a statement.
“Wipro plans to hire 55 science and technology graduates, fresh out of university, for its operations in South Africa over the course of the next six months,” added the company.
Wipro said that graduates are planned to be shortlisted based on academic performance, tests and interviews.
Thereafter, they are planned to undergo a six month training programme.
Shailendra Singh, Business Director, Africa, Wipro Ltd said, “Job creation and skills development are vital imperatives for businesses in South Africa. With this programme, Wipro provides local graduates an opportunity to train and build a career in the global information technology industry.”
Singh further added, “The graduate hiring program is a core element of Wipro's growth strategy in South Africa and is a part of its global initiative to increasingly hire local talent in its markets of operation.”
Wipro says it has been present in South Africa since 2007 and works with companies in the financial services, telecom, energy and utilities, mining and manufacturing sectors in the country.
SA ICT skill shortage
A skills shortage is hampering South African corporates, according to research.
Last year, Fin24 reported on the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) Skills Survey which painted a bleak picture for the country.
Results from the countrywide survey indicated that 45% of corporate respondents said South Africa’s skill shortage is having a major effect on their business.
Meanwhile, 14% of corporate respondents said the skills crisis is threatening their organisations' viability.
The survey highlighted that South Africa’s basic education system is not performing adequately, hence the skills shortage.
In addition, South Africa is also falling behind with regard to its global ICT standing.
According to the 2014 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ‘ICT Development Index’ (IDI), South Africa has fallen from position 89 in 2012 to 90 in 2013 as it has an IDI value of 4.42.
The index - which ranks 166 countries on their technology performance in areas such as ICT infrastructure, access, use and skills - said “regulatory sloth” and the inability to move on digital migration is holding back South Africa.
Three other African nations also scored higher than South Africa on the index with these being Egypt (89), Seychelles (75) and Mauritius (70).
