A first batch of 30 unemployed graduates has been selected for a Master’s Degree Course in Applied Software Technologies. After successful completion of the training, they will be appointed as Application Development Associates at Accenture.
The programme, a joint initiative of the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), Accenture Technology and the University of Mauritius (UOM), under the Graduate Training for Employment Scheme (GTES), was launched yesterday, at the UOM in Reduit in the presence of the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun.
The training aims to address the mismatch issue by empowering and equipping graduates with job-ready skills and facilitating their more meaningful participation in the economic development of Mauritius.
In her address, Minister Dookun-Luchoomun emphasised the importance of the training programme which underpins Government’s commitment towards easing job placement for young graduates. According to her, the tripartite collaboration will certainly help to advance Government’s agenda to foster a better future for the next generation.
The Minister further highlighted that the ICT sector is today one of the largest wealth-creating sectors and it is constantly evolving with new technology that requires new skills. Turning Mauritius into a high-development country necessitates training to be adapted and closely linked to the labour market, she underlined, adding that for the country to be a key player in the global economy, its workforce needs to be well-equipped academically, professionally and skill-wise.
On that score, she pointed out that one of Government’s topmost priorities is to understand and tackle the root causes of mismatch between training and employability. She recalled that the GTES is a budgetary measure which has been mandated to enhance the employability of young unemployed graduates by providing opportunities for new incentives and schemes that can tap into and redirect the potential of local workforce.
Mrs Dookun-Luchoomun further underlined that the collaboration with Accenture Technology in designing this upskilling programme will provide a gateway to job opportunities in the local ICT sector. She observed that the Master’s Course is indeed a strong platform to nurture the talents and maximise the potential of graduates to meet the challenges related to technology and the work-environment by equipping them with relevant up-to date skills and knowledge.
For his part, the Director of the HRDC, Mr Raj Auckloo, underlined that the Council aims to establish linkages between education, training systems and the workplace, so that graduates gain more real-world experience and skills that meet the skill needs of employers. He pointed out that skills development programmes such as the National Skills Development Programme and the GTES are all industry-driven training and placement programmes where the HRDC facilitates training for unemployed youths in the fields where there are skills shortages.
As for the Senior Managing Director of Accenture Technology for Europe and Latin America Lead, Mr Yves Bernaert, he highlighted the necessity of organisations to embrace digital transformation, which is key to their survival and added that in order to help institutions to keep up with the digital era, there is a need of high-skilled workforce. Hence, the objective of the training programme he said, is to tap into the local labour force to develop up-to-date competencies and skills to tackle the challenges of the IT sector on the local and international landscape.
The Programme
The Master’s Degree course, a conversion course in IT, is aimed at unemployed graduates with a non-IT background. The full-time course in Applied Software Technologies comprises of 6 months of classroom training at the UOM and 6 months of work placement at Accenture Technology.
Source: Government of Mauritius