Samsung launched its Electronics Engineering Academy yesterday in Boksburg, with which it aims to supplement critical technical and science skills training of Technical High schools falling within the Ekurhuleni municipal area.

 

The company has already concluded agreements with four Tech High schools in Katlehong as well as Vosloorus, with additional schools scheduled to join in the future.

 

The academy includes a modern Electronics Engineering Lab that will be employed for all the practical training, as well as a classroom where the students (Grades 10 – 12 that take physical science and mathematics as subjects) will receive theoretical lessons and take part in class discussions. “We are targeting about 20 young African leaders in Africa this year, and will reach 100 by 2015,” said Mr KK Park, head of Samsung Electronics African headquarters.   

 

With this corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative that it has constructed “in Africa, for Africa, by Africa”, Samsung is looking to transform communities through education and skills development and in return, open up skilled, well-paying job opportunities for individuals.

 

Underprivileged students attending government technical schools will be equipped with the skills and practical experience required to make them competitive within the electronics segment of the local job market. They will be able to utilise these skill sets to work as service technicians and assembly line engineers amongst others. Besides taking maths and physical science at school, students also need to show an interest in electronics technology or engineering. 

 

 

“At Samsung, we have identified the urgent need to address such skills and education challenges that Africa faces, as these affect the overall industry we are involved in,” said Ntutule Tshenye, CSR lead at Samsung Africa.

 

“Furthermore, it is our responsibility to implement effective and sustainable CSR initiatives that will deliver measurable improvements to the quality of life for both individuals and the community we work in. We have set a goal accordingly: to positively impact 5 million lives by 2015.”

 

“Through the Samsung Electronics Engineering Academy we are addressing the critical technical and engineering skills shortage in South Africa and, as we expand our initiative across the African continent. The Academy also aims to differentiate Samsung’s quality of service to our customers. We are building a workforce of technicians and exclusive service experts in line with the South African government’s drive of creating decent jobs, especially for young citizens.”

 

The overall emphasis is hands-on, practical experience for the workplace, with the Korean company looking to enter graduates of this program into service centre initiatives, such as eventually giving graduates the opportunity to earn their practical experience through an internship opportunity at Samsung’s head office in Korea for a year.