Propelling youth to forefront of tech industry

A SOCIAL enterprise initiative has been launched by Life Choices and the Momentum Metropolitan Foundation to equip Cape Town’s youth with digital skills, job placement and entrepreneurial competence needed to bridge the experience gap in the job market.

The virtual launch of LC Studio was facilitated by Life Choices Programmes manager Ryan Geel and Momentum Metropolitan Youth Employment Portfolio head Nkosinathi Mahlangu, and included presentations from various stakeholders, including Global Kinetic, Skywalk Innovations, Van Kesteren Foundation, and Clickatell.

Geel said the studio was designed to upskill youth in the tech industry with the necessary resources, training and work experience that many companies did not have the capacity to provide – ultimately ensuring long-term success for youth in the job market.

Life Choices managing director Sofia Neves said people who joined came from various backgrounds – 35% were unemployed, 28% had part-time jobs, 18% joined after high school, and 17% came from tertiary institutions (including dropouts and graduates).

Neves said: “We have enrolled 44 interns that have piloted a number of projects, several websites and web applications. Based on the pilot, we are now launching LC Studio that will offer services in web design, web application and QA testing.”

Alumni Viata Fredericks said she was interning at Global Kinetic and wanted to become a full stack developer doing website and software development.

“Before Life Choices I wasn’t working. I didn’t have experience, and was dependent on my parents, which brought me down. Life Choices gave me independence financially, personally and professionally.”

Shanton Waldien said after joining with little business knowledge he was now helping businesses grow and giving them solutions to problems while working at Wow Digital.

Mahlangu said: “If we can teach our young South Africans the importance of being resilient and equipping them with the skills needed to handle the demands of the modern workplace, we can start chipping away at the national shame that is youth unemployment.”

Anyone interested in pursuing LC Studio opportunities can contact Ryan Geel at ryan@lcstudio.co.za or the studio on 021 696 4157.