Digify bootcamp ready for more applicants

After successfully placing all young graduates of the inaugural three-month bootcamp into the country's top agencies and companies including Native VML, Retroviral, FoxP2, Casson Media, Aqua Agency, iClinic, EdCon and African Doctors, the company is looking for organisations, agencies and brands to take part in Digify which started in Braamfontein this month.

Livity Africa 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.

Company involvement

"Companies can get involved by providing an innovative speaker for our weekly industry talks or by submitting 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 programme's ultimate aim is to provide a pipeline of diverse young digital talent for the industry, which is why we are offering industry the opportunity to employ the 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 Ad Words, YouTube, Search and Analytics," concludes Weale.

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 Country Marketing Manager Elizma Nolte.

For more information, go to www.digifyza.co.za.