By JD GLOBAL MEDIA
South Africa's Economic Sectors, Employment and Infrastructure Development Cluster has taken its digital-skills programme directly to students at Tshwane South TVET College as government seeks to connect young people with technology training, employment opportunities and pathways into entrepreneurship.
The Digital Skills Outreach Programme took place at the college's Pretoria West campus on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, under the theme "Connecting People to Jobs, Skills and Economic Opportunities."
The programme brought together institutions involved in technology, skills development and scientific research and was designed to give students practical information about digital skills and available training opportunities.
The initiative comes as South African employers report continuing difficulty finding ICT specialists and as businesses increasingly adopt artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other digital systems.
TAKING DIGITAL SKILLS TO STUDENTS
The programme is part of a series of projects being undertaken by the Economic Cluster.
Its stated objective is to connect TVET college students with credible information about digital skills, training opportunities, career pathways and practical support.
That approach is different from simply encouraging young people to study technology.
Students also need information about which skills are in demand, where training is available and how those skills can be translated into employment or business opportunities.
The Pretoria West programme therefore focuses on connecting education with the labour market.
INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATING
Several organisations were included in the programme.
The National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa, the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority, the National Skills Fund and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research were listed among the participating institutions.
Each organisation represents a different part of the skills ecosystem.
NEMISA has a mandate connected to digital skills and media technology.
MerSETA operates within the skills-development system for manufacturing, engineering and related services.
The National Skills Fund supports skills development initiatives.
The CSIR contributes scientific and technological expertise and research capabilities.
Bringing those organisations together creates a pathway through which students can receive information extending beyond their immediate college courses.
WHY TVET COLLEGES MATTER
TVET colleges occupy an important position between secondary education and the workplace.
Their programmes are designed to provide technical and vocational skills that can be applied in practical employment environments.
That role becomes increasingly important as South Africa's economy becomes more dependent on technology.
Digital transformation requires not only software developers and data scientists.
Companies also require technicians, network specialists, electronic systems workers, automation specialists and people who can operate and maintain digital equipment.
The demand for practical technology skills can therefore grow alongside demand for university-trained specialists.
THE EMPLOYMENT CONNECTION
The government has deliberately linked the outreach programme to jobs and economic opportunities.
That is significant because digital-skills programmes can have limited impact if participants complete training without a clear pathway into employment.
The labour market needs to absorb newly trained workers.
Employers need mechanisms for identifying capable candidates.
Students need information about vacancies, internships, apprenticeships and further training.
Entrepreneurship can provide another route where formal employment is limited.
The government says the programme is intended to support all three pathways: employment, entrepreneurship and further learning.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CHANGES THE REQUIREMENTS
The timing of the programme is significant because artificial intelligence is changing the technology workforce.
AI tools are increasingly being introduced into software development, customer service, data analysis, financial services, marketing, manufacturing and administrative work.
That does not mean every worker needs to become an AI engineer.
It does mean that digital literacy is becoming more important across a wider range of occupations.
Workers may need to understand how to use AI tools, evaluate their outputs, protect confidential information and recognise errors.
Technical specialists will need deeper skills to build and manage AI systems.
PRACTICAL TRAINING IS IMPORTANT
The technology skills shortage reported by employers illustrates the importance of practical experience.
A student can understand the theoretical principles behind a technology without having experience using it in a working environment.
Practical projects can help close that gap.
Students can build applications, configure networks, analyse data, work with cloud platforms or participate in technology projects.
Workplace exposure can then help them understand how those technical skills operate under real business conditions.
THE EXPERIENCE GAP
The Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa has previously identified the experience gap as a major contributor to the country's ICT skills challenge.
The problem is not necessarily that South Africa has no graduates with STEM qualifications.
Instead, some graduates may lack the practical exposure employers expect.
That can create a paradox in which young people struggle to obtain their first job because they lack experience while employers struggle to find candidates who already possess experience.
Internships, apprenticeships and workplace learning can help address that problem.
ROLE OF INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS
Government cannot resolve the skills challenge alone.
Technology companies, financial institutions, telecommunications firms, manufacturers and other employers are major consumers of digital skills.
Their involvement can help educational institutions understand which competencies are required.
Industry partnerships can also provide students with access to real projects and technology platforms.
Such partnerships can make training more relevant and potentially improve the transition from college to employment.
DIGITAL SKILLS ARE BROADER THAN CODING
There is sometimes a tendency to define digital skills narrowly as programming.
The modern digital economy requires a much wider set of capabilities.
Cybersecurity is one example.
As more organisations move services online, employees need to understand passwords, identity protection, phishing, data security and safe use of digital systems.
Data literacy is another.
Workers increasingly interact with dashboards, databases and automated decision-support systems.
Cloud computing, digital payments, digital communications and online collaboration tools also require practical skills.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Digital skills can also support entrepreneurship.
A person with web-development skills can create websites for small businesses.
A graphic designer can operate a digital service business.
A cybersecurity specialist can provide services to smaller organisations.
A developer can create software for a specific market.
Digital platforms can also allow entrepreneurs to sell products and services beyond their immediate communities.
The outreach programme's focus on entrepreneurship therefore reflects a broader understanding of how technology skills can create economic opportunities.
THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL SKILLS FUND
The National Skills Fund's participation is relevant because training requires resources.
Equipment, instructors, connectivity, software and practical facilities can be expensive.
Funding mechanisms can help institutions expand access to training.
The challenge is ensuring that funding is connected to useful outcomes.
Those outcomes can include completion rates, recognised qualifications, workplace placements, employment and business creation.
CSIR'S TECHNOLOGY ROLE
The participation of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research also brings a research and innovation dimension to the programme.
The CSIR operates across areas of science and technology and can provide students with exposure to research and innovation pathways.
That matters because South Africa needs not only technology users but also people capable of developing new technologies.
Research institutions can help connect education with innovation.
THE DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGE
Skills development cannot operate independently of digital infrastructure.
Students need reliable internet connections, computers and appropriate software to develop practical digital skills.
Businesses also need connectivity and computing infrastructure to employ those skills.
South Africa's telecommunications companies and data-centre operators are expanding infrastructure, including facilities designed for cloud and AI workloads.
MTN has identified South Africa and Nigeria as priority markets for its data-centre strategy, while Equinix is expanding its Johannesburg facility.
Infrastructure growth increases the potential demand for skilled workers.
GOVERNMENT'S BROADER DIGITAL AGENDA
The outreach programme is part of a wider government push toward digital transformation.
At GovTech 2026 earlier in September, Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi described digital transformation as a key component of government modernisation.
The government has also placed emphasis on digital sovereignty, secure connectivity and the development of technology capabilities.
Those ambitions require a workforce capable of implementing them.
Digital government services need software engineers, cybersecurity specialists, data professionals, network technicians and support staff.
CONNECTIVITY AND ACCESS
Digital-skills programmes can only reach their full potential if people have access to technology.
Students in areas with limited connectivity may have fewer opportunities to practise their skills.
This creates a relationship between infrastructure policy and skills policy.
Expanding connectivity without developing skills can leave people unable to take full advantage of the network.
Developing skills without reliable connectivity can limit opportunities to use those skills.
Both therefore need to advance together.
WHAT EMPLOYERS CAN DO
Employers can contribute by providing clearer entry-level pathways.
Graduate programmes, internships and apprenticeships can give students the experience required for permanent positions.
Companies can also work with colleges to design practical assignments based on real technology challenges.
That would allow students to demonstrate capabilities before entering the labour market.
WHAT STUDENTS NEED
Students participating in digital-skills programmes need to look beyond certificates.
Employers increasingly assess what candidates can actually do.
A portfolio of projects, practical experience and evidence of problem-solving can complement formal qualifications.
Students also need to continue learning after completing formal training because technology changes quickly.
A skill that is valuable today can become less important as platforms evolve.
WHY THE 29 SEPTEMBER PROGRAMME MATTERS
The Pretoria West event provides a practical example of how government is trying to connect skills development with economic opportunity.
Rather than focusing exclusively on technology policy at national level, the programme takes information directly to students.
That can help young people understand where technology careers are heading and what training opportunities exist.
The impact will ultimately depend on what happens after the event.
Students need access to actual training, practical work experience, employment or business opportunities.
MEASURING SUCCESS
A successful digital-skills programme should therefore be assessed through outcomes rather than attendance alone.
Important indicators could include how many participants enter training programmes, how many obtain jobs, how many secure internships and how many start businesses.
The government could also track which skills are most frequently requested by employers and adjust programmes accordingly.
Such feedback would help prevent training from becoming disconnected from labour-market requirements.
THE LONG-TERM CHALLENGE
South Africa's technology transition will continue regardless of individual training programmes.
Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, automation, cybersecurity and digital services are becoming increasingly important to businesses and government.
The country therefore needs a continuous pipeline of workers who can operate in that environment.
The Pretoria programme is one component of that larger effort.
Its importance lies in connecting students to information and institutions that can help them move from education toward practical technology careers.
The broader challenge is to maintain that connection throughout the education and employment system.
WHAT COMES NEXT
Students who participated in the outreach programme will need to follow through on the opportunities presented to them.
Government and participating institutions will also need to maintain accessible pathways to training.
Employers will remain important because they ultimately provide many of the jobs requiring digital skills.
If those three parts — education, industry and government — remain connected, programmes such as the Pretoria West outreach initiative can contribute to reducing the distance between students and the technology labour market.
South Africa's digital future will not depend only on new software, AI systems or connectivity projects.
It will also depend on whether people have the skills to build, operate, secure and use those technologies.
The 29 September outreach programme places that human element at the centre of the country's digital transformation agenda.
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