DEDAT celebrates breakthrough ICT apprenticeship graduation, empowering Western Cape youth

On 13 August the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) was thrilled to celebrate the graduation of 49 young people from the Forvis Mazars Institute of Development (FMID), marking South Africa’s first ICT apprenticeship to integrate classroom learning with on-the-job training and experiential learning. The energy in the room matched the significance of the moment as graduates received their certificates of completion and stepped confidently into the digital economy.

In a powerful demonstration of work-ready outcomes, 27 graduates earned international vendor certifications in Microsoft and Cloud applications, while all 49 achieved six Core Skill badges aligned to SFIA (Skills Framework for the Information Age), the globally recognised standard for digital skills and professional responsibility levels. This first-of-its-kind programme brought together committed partners across industry and education to deliver highly topical, market-relevant training.

DEDAT proudly supported the FMID cohort with 12 months of stipends, enabling learners to travel daily to FMID in Century City and focus fully on their studies, a key factor in achieving a 100% programme completion rate. 

Momentum is already building: 13 graduates have secured job offers, with more placements in the pipeline as employers tap into this new talent pool.

Today’s achievement proves that when government, education, and industry work in lockstep, young people move from potential to participation in record time. said We are immensely proud of these graduates and the partners who helped make this milestone possible. This is skills development, translating directly into jobs and growth.