Gauteng innovation agency, the Innovation Hub, has called on young South Africans to take part in the CoachLab Leadership and Business Skills Development Programme.

CoachLab is a youth skills development programme managed by the Innovation Hub in collaboration with industry partners, government and academia.

The programme is committed to the development of a diverse skills base in the information and communications technology (ICT), engineering, green and media sectors.

CoachLab focuses on bridging the gap between academia and the demands of industry and the programme includes personal, leadership and professional development.

Participants are introduced to project-based learning with a focus on exposure to and the application of project management principles in a real-time project environment.

Moreover, all participants have access to personal coaching that focuses on grooming for optimum performance and value delivery.

The industry partners allocate mentors who offer technical support and provide insight on projects that the participants embark on.

Skills requirements include good written and verbal communication skills; a strong understanding of databases, user interface, mobile cross-platform compatibility, general Web functions and standards, client-side applications and understanding of content management systems; an understanding of software engineering approaches; and an understanding of software programming and development.

Applicants must have a three-year ICT, or related qualification in software development, informatics, information science, information systems, multimedia or graphic design, technical applications, computer science and computer systems engineering. 

Applicants must further their studies, including BTech in 2020 at one of the partner tertiary institutions, namely the University of Pretoria, the Tshwane University of Technology, the University of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of South Africa, North West University (Vaal Triangle Campus) and Vaal University of Technology.

Applicants should be between 18 and 34 years old and be South African citizens.

Further information is available on the Innovation Hub’s website.