Career Sprint Programme at redAcademy

By Jessica Hawkey, Managing Director at redAcademy

The proliferation of technology across all walks of life and work is creating a huge demand for software developers. While many tend to think of telecoms, financial services or retail when it comes to coding, software is crucial across industries including healthcare, manufacturing, professional services and more. Yet, South African companies are being held back by a lack of skilled employees, meaning that more often than not, business leaders – especially CTOs – are missing out on fulfilling their mandates to deliver successful software-driven projects that will be crucial to fuelling future growth.

Even worse, it means that there is a huge war for already scarce talent. Combating this sustainably requires growing the talent pool, building a sustainable pipeline of software developers for the future, as well as solidifying succession planning within the business by ensuring an inflow of new talent as high-performing employees are promoted up the ladder.

In today’s digital world, technology is being infused into products and solutions across multiple industries, and software development can act as the catalyst to solving South Africa’s long-standing youth unemployment problem. What is needed however is a concerted effort by the private sector to tackle the challenge, as well as a radical rethink of skills development and training in order to future-proof your business.

Work-ready talent to fuel your growth

CTO’s are faced with numerous pressures beyond rolling out new technologies, including having to source scarce talent and then train them to meet their business requirements. But, what if there is a more efficient way of getting access to young developers who are work-ready and already have the experience of working on live projects?

Most associate a career in software development with first getting a degree. But, if a business needs a specific skill set and there is a pressing need to fill positions, there has to be another way in which more young South Africans are brought into the workplace. Increasingly, 3-year software degrees don’t carry the same value that they used to, with organisations preferring not only software developers with experience, but ones who are trained in using their technology stack – and this is what makes ‘Sprinters’ – those who have completed the redAcademy programme – valuable from the first day.

redAcademy gives selected young South Africans the ability to fast-track their IT careers by taking part in a ‘Career Sprint’ that blends theoretical training by dedicated software lecturers with practical experience, that involves working with senior developers to develop working solutions for real customers using the most relevant coding languages. One of redAcademy’s first corporate partners, a leading regional retailer, sees their partnership as a tangible way of developing a skilled pipeline of young talent while also contributing to the upliftment young people and communities.

8 ways partnering with redAcademy helps you:

• Build work-ready junior software developers who are equipped with soft skills, know your company culture
• Reduce your development backlog and increase Sprinters’ skill set for your business, using your tech stack
• Build a sustainable pipeline of software developers during a time when talent is limited
• Have your candidates gain experience working on your projects too
• Reduced recruitment costs and no extra admin for your business – just a skilled pipeline of talent
• Supporting broader socio-economic transformation in South Africa
• Be recognised as a responsible corporate citizen
• Safeguarding the future of your business while also doing good

redAcademy can adapt the Career Sprint programme to match the requirements of your business, and candidates can learn your tech stack on our bespoke learner management system. Find out how redAcademy can help you source the software development skills that your business needs to grow and succeed – Contact us today.

About redAcademy: 

redAcademy is a software training organisation; the program is designed to close the experience gap for South African youth entering a skilled career in software development.

The program is designed to equip matriculants with technical and soft skills as well as live client project experience through our fast paced 1-year program, working inside real world software development organisations. redAcademy tackles unemployment head on with the guarantee of a job offer for those who successfully complete our course.

redAcademy is a stand-alone organisation with a clear goal: give carefully chosen, talented South Africans the opportunity to sprint into their IT careers by working closely with industry-leading senior developers and customers, designed to fast-track software careers in the real world.

To register for the Career Sprint Programme click here »