Axiz and OpenText celebrated the successful completion of a three-year Graduate Programme with a graduation ceremony recognising the achievements of participants. The event marked a milestone for graduates who have gained critical technical certifications, soft skills, and workplace readiness. Over 70% of the graduates have secured permanent roles within partner organisations, demonstrating the programme’s high success rate.
The Graduate Programme, rooted in the SITA, State Information Technology Agency and Micro Focus, now OpenText SITA Framework Agreement, is designed to equip unemployed youth with technical training, professional certifications, and practical experience. It aims to address South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis while contributing to the growth of the country’s digital economy.
Allyson Towle, OpenText’s Marketing Manager and SMME Operations Manager, highlighted the programme’s dual focus. “Through this initiative, we aim to support unemployed youth by providing them with both technical expertise and essential soft skills to ensure they are well-prepared for the workforce,” she said.
Running alongside the Graduate Programme, the SMME Development Programme focuses on empowering established small businesses to scale and integrate into South Africa’s economy. Now in its sixth year, the SMME programme currently supports 18 active SMME partners with funding, business advisory services, and technical assistance tailored to their needs.
Participants in the graduate programme have taken on roles such as System Support Engineers where they are able to, apply the knowledge and skills acquired through the programme.
The SMME programme’s rigorous onboarding process requires SMMEs to have been operational for at least two years, maintain good standing with SARS, and demonstrate a clear commitment to growth. This ensures that participating businesses are well-positioned to maximise the programme’s resources and opportunities.
Some of the participating SMMEs have grown from small, one-person operations into fully-fledged businesses. Towle highlighted the value of resilience and effort. “Success requires commitment and a willingness to build strong relationships and invest in growth,” she said.
While the programmes have delivered remarkable success, challenges remain. Many participants in the Graduate Programme face societal pressures and family obligations that can disrupt their journeys. The initiative continues to provide support to help graduates overcome these barriers and stay on track.
For SMMEs, the emphasis is on creating sustainable growth. Participants are encouraged to leverage the programme’s resources to build capacity, scale their operations, and expand their market reach.
The recent graduation ceremony not only celebrated individual achievements but also reflected the power of collaboration between OpenText and its partners. Barter acknowledged the importance of these partnerships. “We would not exist without our partners and vendors. This programme is about creating value within this ecosystem and ensuring our graduates and SMMEs succeed,” he said.
Axiz is a technology distributor operating in 22 countries in Africa, connecting global technology vendors with channel partners, providing a comprehensive range of IT solutions and services. Axiz enables digital transformation by delivering cutting-edge technologies, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, data management, networking, and enterprise software.
