Microsoft and SAtion have partnered to provide free access to Microsoft’s Office 365 suite technology to young South Africans aged eight to 24 as well as free digital literacy resources and Microsoft Cloud Society resources.

The Digital Skills Hub partnership aims to alleviate unemployment, enhance employability in the digital age and bridge the digital divide in South Africa.

The SAtion Digital Skills Hub online platform will host three initiatives, namely the Global Skills Initiative (GSI), Mahala and Cloud Society, with each offering different opportunities for the youth, the unemployed, small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs), all South Africans and government officials to acquire the digital skills that will enable them to operate more effectively and competitively in the digital world.

SAtion, which was launched in June, draws together stakeholders in the private and public sectors, including government, large corporations, SMMEs, industrialists, private investors, thought leaders and educational institutions, to discuss, coordinate and implement Fourth Industrial Revolution projects.

“The digital economy creates the ideal opportunity for job creation. It also spurs innovation, boosts economic growth and supports long-term competitiveness. However, building the digital skills necessary to meet the changing landscape cannot be delivered by a single entity. Partnerships are essential for accelerating digital transformation and, more importantly, unlocking vital upskilling and reskilling initiatives,” says Microsoft South Africa CEO Lillian Barnard.

“Through this partnership and the digital skills initiatives associated with it, we look forward to making a meaningful contribution in building South Africa’s digital capability, competitiveness and confidence.”

The Microsoft GSI, through the Digital Skills Hub, will enable a minimum of 50 000 unemployed and disadvantaged people in South Africa to acquire digital skills and certification for in-demand jobs in, for example, customer service, information technology support, software development and graphic design.

Local nonprofit organisation Afrika Tikkun, through its skills and placement arm, Afrika Tikkun Services, will be offering access to computer equipment to ensure that job-seekers are able to register for the GSI’s online learning programmes.

The GSI has already empowered more than 30-million people worldwide with digital skills for the digital economy.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with SAtion as the implementing partner of Microsoft on the GSI project. We believe this partnership will enable young people to acquire in-demand digital skills and the technical certifications that are needed to position them well for the job market. We encourage young people to grab the opportunity offered through this initiative with both hands,” adds Afrika Tikkun Services CEO Onyi Nwaneri.

The Mahala initiative will enable those aged between eight and 24 to sign up for free access to the Microsoft 365 suite, which includes programmes such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

Mahala users will also have access to 5 Tb of online cloud storage to ensure they are able to safely save their documents and access them remotely off any device.

The Microsoft Cloud Society programme is aimed at the more advanced users working in the IT industry and allows users to access comprehensive support in their journeys to becoming cloud computing experts.

The Digital Skills Hub will enable access to Microsoft’s one-stop platform hosting thousands of online learning courses aimed at turning users into Microsoft Azure experts.

Users have the option to become Microsoft certified professionals through writing certification exams in a number of roles, including developer, data scientist and artificial intelligence engineer, at an affordable cost.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa’s conviction that South Africa’s youth will be at the centre of our economic recovery has never been more true, and the stakes have never been higher. Our determination to secure a competitive digital future for our youth and unemployed has driven us to conclude this momentous partnership,” concludes SAtion enabling partner IQbusiness CEO Adam Craker.