The Coronavirus pandemic has created challenges in virtually every aspect of business. IT is certainly no exception, with CIOs and other technology leaders working overtime to cope with the disruptions that have occurred in the wake of the Coronavirus, including having to support the work-from-home model en masse and training and retraining users.

This has meant new challenges in connectivity, security and management for IT, and a considerable rise in user education initiatives.

To help IT Managers future-proof their IT team to support a remote workforce, iLearn has developed the first Blended IT Technical Support NQF 4 Learnership programme.

“Blended learning is paving the way for future learning,” says CEO of iLearn, Richard Rayne. “It is a pedagogical approach with unlimited potential and high appeal for businesses as employees do a significant amount of study in their own time. It is an economical way to develop your talent pipeline in line with your business objectives. Ultimately, your employees gain the knowledge and skills your business needs, but with significantly less absenteeism from work while in training.”

This Learnership provides South Africans with the opportunity to gain both the local SAQA qualification and the sought-after CompTIA A+ and Network+ international certifications. Companies implementing this new qualification can now also take advantage of the benefits afforded to other NQF-accredited qualifications, namely skills grants, tax rebates and an increase in points on their B-BBEE scorecards.

“We are very excited to be partnering with iLearn in the Blended Learning space. A MICT SETA-accredited Learnership demonstrates the institution’s commitment to closing the scarce skills gap in the IT-sector by working on and improving demand-driven learning programmes that serve as effective bridges in the working world,” says Charlton Philiso, Senior Manager: Education, Training and Quality Assurance at MICT SETA.