Altron invests in the future of South Africa’s youth

With unemployment and education remaining two of the most challenging issues facing South Africa, JSE-listed technology group Altron has awarded bursaries to more than 20 university students from around the country.

On completion of their studies, the students, from the Universities of Stellenbosch, Johannesburg, KwaZulu-Natal, Witwatersrand and Cape Town, will work for Altron for a period of time equal to the duration of their bursary.

“The Altron Bursary Scheme forms part of how we create shared value in South Africa. Not only does the Bursary Scheme allow us to make an impact on the of youth of our country, it also allows us to attract and retain exceptional individuals that contribute to Altron’s business success and ensures that we remain future fit when it comes to skills required for the 4th industrial revolution,” said Dolores Mashishi, Altron Group Executive: Human Capital.

Bursaries are awarded to 2nd, 3rd, 4th and Honours / Masters students for the full duration of their degree and are awarded based on the needs of the business, ensuring that the programme is sustainable and that Altron is able to place all students once they graduate. The scheme recruits students predominantly in the fields of electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, informatics and computer science, which align to Altron’s primary focus of providing innovative solutions in its identified growth areas of cloud services, Internet of Things, data analytics and security.

“This year’s bursary recipients, for six weeks during their annual vacation periods, will work within our Netstar, Altron Bytes Managed Solutions, Altron Bytes Systems Integration, Altron Bytes Secure Transaction Solutions, Altron Bytes People Solutions, and Altron Nexus business units. We incorporate the students across the entire business spectrum and expose them to an array of technologies and solutions,” added Mashishi .
Shaun Dlamini, a current bursary student completing his final year of study, provided his perspective on the scheme and how his vacation work with Altron changed his life: “The programme exposed me to various elements and I acquired skills that I would never have obtained at university level. I experienced a professional work environment for the first time and was exposed to new technologies and better ways of doing things. Altron empowered me to stay on a path of excellence and enabled me to kick-start my career.”

ENDS