Online tertiary group Digital Skills Academy (DSA) and Brainstorm magazine have launched a competition for working professionals where a place on one of DSA’s acclaimed international BSc degree programmes in digital skills, worth $10 000, can be won.

The competition, which opened on October 1, is open to people employed in South Africa and will close on November 28.

DSA CEO and founder Paul Dunne said the partnership is rewarding a high-potential professional with a valuable opportunity to enhance their skills, with long-term benefits for both the professional and the company they work for.

He added that the prize would be awarded on merit, with entrants required to have their application backed up by the person they report to. “We believe it is important to involve the company the applicant works for, since the company plays an important role in providing the enabling environment where the professional can develop their skills. In the case of our Industry Partners, the learning takes place while a new project is developed for the Industry Partner,” he said.

“Now on our third intake in South Africa, DSA has had an excellent response so far. The participants and companies involved report that the programme helps develop a culture of innovation – it is helping them launch new innovative digital products and services and drive growth for their business,” he highlighted.

The 2016 Gartner Chief Information Officer Agenda Survey found 66% of respondents believe the scarcity of information technology (IT) talent – specifically around analytics, security and risk, and supporting business – is their top barrier to achieving their objectives. In the race to become a digital business, organisations have to move quickly to build a high level digital skills pool.

“We believe that ensuring that organisations have people in place who are able to drive both their organisations and the economy forward is critical at this point. It's not enough to get people into the industry, we have to make sure that the next generation of IT leaders are ready for the future that is rapidly approaching.

“This is why we’re pleased to partner with DSA, whose relevant, hands-on approach to advanced training for working IT professionals is designed to build capacity that immediately improves their companies' operations,” said Brainstorm editor Ben Kelly.