I am working for SchoolNet SA (
www.school.za) on a youth employability programme in Johannesburg. The aim of the programme is to skill unemployed graduates with a view to them becoming employed as entry level ICT technical support staff or starting their own ICT support businesses. We are working in collaboration with the Academy for Educational Development (
www.aed.org), an American-based nonprofit organization working to improve education, health, civil society and economic development.
The success of this programme is dependent to a large extent on the success of the eMentoring programme which will form part of this project. Each of the 60 graduates on the programme will be appropriately matched to a suitable working professional who will act as his or her mentor. The main aim of this is to provide learners with the opportunity to develop good working relationships with professionals who will help them develop marketable skills and professional networks. Interaction will primarily be online via instant messaging, chat rooms or email, and the time required will be a minimum of 20 minutes per week. Since the eMentoring relationship is mostly about soft skills, it is not essential for mentors to be in the ICT industry.’
The potential mentor does not have to have excellent IT skills nor do they have to work in this field. The purpose is to provide the mentee with advice, give them a platform to bounce ideas off and ultimately to network. If anyone is interested in being part of the 5 month programme please email me at: sophia@schoolnet.org.za or call me during office hours 084 771 5992. It is a powerful project to be a part of!