Apart from AxizWorkgroup and Pinnacle Africa, the skills programme also includes staff from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). Training for the GDE is aimed at up-skilling technicians who service IT hardware at schools. A total of 250 employees from AxizWorkgroup, Pinnacle Africa and the GDE are included in the skills programme.
The skills programme - funded by MICT SETA and Pinnacle Holdings - includes courses in Business Communication, Customer Care, IT Systems Support, Proactive Sales Training, and Management Development (Intermediate and Advanced). The latter course is specifically aimed at PinnStars - an internal programme within Pinnacle Holdings that aims to recognise and up-skill current and future managers of various levels. All of the skills programmes are provided by Hlanganani-ICT.
Pinnacle Holdings recognised the need for skills development within its organisation and has as such conducted a skills gap analysis together with management. Individuals within the organisation were then identified and selected to form part of the Skills Programme.
The skills programme runs concurrently with the learnership programme launched by Pinnacle Holdings in January this year where 50 learners were placed in AxizWorkgroup and Pinnacle Africa for a 12 month practical and theoretical learnership. The total number of learners and employees included in Pinnacle Holdings' training programmes for 2014 now totals 300.
"We are proud and grateful to be in a position to train our employees and partners' learners to deepen skills development in the Country. The skills gaps within the IT industry are a major concern which needs to be addressed, and we are honoured to be part of the solution," says Robert Nkuna, executive of Human Resources of Pinnacle Holdings.
