Livity Africa and Rockefeller Foundation collaborate to train youths

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The programme, Digify Bytes, will be delivered by South African-based youth agency, publisher and academy Livity Africa, with additional support from Google South Africa, the British Council and British High Commission.

Digify Bytes is an extension of the three month Digify ZA programme, which was launched by Livity Africa in 2014 in partnership with Google South Africa and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). In an effort to expand its reach, Digify Bytes was created as a two day training workshop aimed at giving thousands of young learners and job seekers a short, sharp shot of digital marketing skills.

Delivered by young digital professionals, the programme is designed to introduce the fundamentals of digital marketing tools, strategies and platforms to young people who can utilise them for self-branding, industry preparedness, employability and digital literacy.

Skills development

The collaboration is part of the Rockefeller Foundation's Digital Jobs Africa initiative, launched in May 2013 with a goal to impact one million lives Africa through job creation and skills development for youth who would otherwise have limited access to employment.

"We are excited to partner with the Rockefeller Foundation on this groundbreaking initiative," said Gavin Weale, founder and managing director at Livity Africa. "As the digital industry continues to grow, the demand for young talent to feed the industry will only increase. Through Digify Bytes, we hope to showcase the wide range of opportunities that exist once a young person is empowered with digital skills. Once they have that, the sky is the limit."

Digify Bytes workshops are offered for free to universities, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, training institutions and youth organisations. To-date, workshops have taken place at several institutions in Gauteng, ranging from Sedibeng College, the Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship and Sparrow Schools. Workshops will kick off in the Western Cape in the second quarter of 2016.

"The Rockefeller Foundation is pleased to support Livity Africa with the delivery of Digify Bytes," said Michelline Ntiru, associate director at the Rockefeller Foundation Africa regional office. "They have found great success through their core Digify ZA programme over the past year and given their expertise in the youth market, we have no doubt that this programme will contribute significantly to improving the lives of young disadvantaged South Africans as they take steps to enter the workforce."