Cohort of WeThinkCode students.
Software development academy WeThinkCode has welcomed non-profit organisation Collective X as a strategic partner, it announced on Tuesday.
This, to build a more inclusive, outcomes-based tech talent pipeline for South African youth.
Collective X co-invests with employers to support junior ICT talent in gaining relevant digital skills through work-integrated learning.
In the statement, the tech academy says as a partner, Collective X’s financial support will enable it to expand access to work-integrated learning opportunities and long-term employment.
“This partnership reflects our belief that systemic change requires systemic collaboration,” comments Ruvimbo Gwatirisa, director of partnerships at WeThinkCode. “Collective X’s approach to convening stakeholders and co-paying for innovative solutions that create real long-term work opportunities is exactly what SA needs to unlock the full potential of its youth.”
Collective X’s report titled: “AI Isn’t Taking Jobs, It’s Changing Them: What This Means for Young Tech Talent”, highlights 118 000 unfilled ICT roles in SA, 41 000 of which are suited to junior talent.
“WeThinkCode has been a recipient of two of our co-payment programmes, reflecting our mandate to provide innovative outcomes-based financing solutions that invest in high-value talent with a clear employment pathway. Sixty five students are currently on a path-to-employment though appropriate in-demand digital skills training that is supported by practical real-world work experience, over a two-year period,” adds Nsika Mutasa, executive for the digital skills impact fund at Collective X.
“WeThinkCode has long been a leader in cultivating high-potential tech talent, and we’re pleased to be able to support their mission as part of a broader national strategyto ensure young people are not only trained but meaningfully employed.”
By aligning training with real-world demand and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration, WeThinkCode and Collective X believe the partnership signals a new era of inclusive innovation.
It’s a call to action for SA’s tech ecosystem to move beyond isolated interventions and toward a shared vision: one where every young person with potential has a pathway to purpose, and every employer has access to the talent that drives transformation, says the statement.
