Technology training company Forge Academy has launched a new Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) training centre and two courses in partnership with mining company Sibanye-Stillwater.

The first two 12-month certification courses will be in Amazon Web Services with Business Analysis, and Community Construction.

The courses will be run from two fully fitted and air-conditioned modular training rooms installed on the grounds of Sibanye’s Precious Metal Refinery (PMR), in Brakpan, Gauteng.

The initiative forms part of the PMR’s community youth development and empowerment programme, and the cohort of ten students for each course has been drawn from the local communities of Mzumbe/Reedville, Wright Park and Kwa Mkhancwa.

Meanwhile, in the Amazon Web Services with Business Analysis course, students will earn international and local certifications.

The business analysis component is rated at a National Qualification Framework Level 5 and is accredited through the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is an international cloud practitioner and provides certification.

“Forge Academy combines the AWS and business analysis certification in one course. This gives graduates the advantage of analysing data in the cloud and sharing relevant insights with their colleagues,” the academy said.

Further, the Community Construction course is a comprehensive programme that will give participants hands-on experience across various disciplines, including bricklaying, plumbing and electrical wiring. Among the aims is to provide course participants with an integrated understanding of all aspects of construction.

Course graduates will earn a full sector education and training authority-accredited qualification.

Forge Academy has a high graduate placement rate and blends practical and theoretical learning to deliver for its students and their employers.

“We stand at the threshold of a new era in which technology not only shapes our daily lives, but also holds the promise to address some of our continent’s most enduring challenges,” said Forge Academy co-founder and CEO Craig Clutty.

Forge Academy’s training approach aims to equip young people to participate and perform actively in economies built on the 4IR.

Through scenario-based learning, hands-on labs and coursework, students gain the skills they need to start their careers. The training also focuses on professional skills such as adaptive communication, time management, resume building and interviewing to prepare for employer meetings and interviews, he noted.

“The support from Sibanye-Stillwater is a remarkable gift. You are not just students, you are pioneers. You are the architects of Africa’s future, and the innovators who will harness technology to transform our continent. The road ahead will be challenging, but it is within those challenges that you will find your greatest opportunities,” he told the newly enrolled students.