Livity Africa's MD Gavin Weale says 85% of companies surveyed by IAB SA felt colleges and universities do not adequately prepare students with the skills they need to succeed on the job. "The industry is calling out for young digital talent with the skills required by South Africa's growing digital industry. By getting industry directly involved with the bootcamp, led by Google and IAB SA, we know that the graduates have the skills and knowledge the industry demands."
"Companies can get involved with Digify by providing an innovative speaker for our weekly industry talks or by submitting real live briefs for our talented young team to respond to. Agencies such as Native VML and Network BBDO, as well as brands like Red Bull, all benefited from fresh campaign ideas from the first Digify group."
"The Digify programme's ultimate aim is to provide a pipeline of diverse young digital talent for the industry, which is why we are offering you the opportunity to employ our next round of Digify graduates from mid-December 2014. The graduates have an understanding of agency processes and the digital media landscape plus practical experience working on live briefs and running digital campaigns. They have also received training directly from Google on AdWords, YouTube, Search and Analytics," says Gavin.
Google provides funding, training and mentorship for the Digify programme as part of a local initiative to build digital talent in South Africa. "South Africa's digital industry is growing by 30 to 40% per year, however we still need to fill a gap of at least a quarter of the current workforce with digital professionals. Digify aims to help address this shortage by creating a consistent pipeline of capable and employable young talent into the industry," says Google South Africa's country marketing manager Elizma Nolte.
If you would like to get involved or place Digify graduates, please contact Hlengiwe Simelane at moc.acirfaytivil@ewignelh or 011 028 7487. For more information about Digify, visit www.digifyza.co.za.
