New Salesforce developer training programme launched for WC youth

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23 young people began a one-year educational and work-readiness programme to become developers for the Salesforce ecosystem. The youth will strive to obtain both their Administration and Platform App Builders certifications.

They represent the first cohort of youth in this new stream of upskilling for digital jobs by the nonprofit organisation, Life Choices and its academy programme.

“The programme equips young people with the digital skills and accreditations they need to become successful developers on the Salesforce platform, a widely-used and globally recognised customer relationship management (CRM) system.

We’re excited about this opportunity to get unemployed youth prepared for the world of work with the specialist knowledge they need to customise and develop the Salesforce platform for corporates and other enterprises both in South Africa and potentially across the globe,” says Mignon Hardie, managing director of Life Choices.

Life Choices’ campus director, Ryan Geel, explains, “Life Choices is one of eight recognised Salesforce Workforce Development partners in South Africa. The Youthforce Academy training programme has been designed to provide young people with the technical expertise they need to excel in developing systems within Salesforce and includes the acquisition of vital Admin and Developer certifications.”

But the youth are not only getting these important and desirable technical skills, the curriculum includes a broad range of personal and professional development skills blended with work-readiness training, ensuring that they have the necessary soft skills to thrive in the workplace.

In addition, the youth have access to psychosocial support throughout their time at Life Choices to ensure that they can overcome challenges and build resilience for their futures.

The course is divided into four phases:

Phase 1: Foundational Development: Focusing on building foundational skills and knowledge to prepare individuals for roles within the Salesforce Ecosystem.

Phase 2: Admin Certification: Focuses on equipping participants with the skills needed to effectively manage and configure Salesforce environments combining theory and practical application with a capstone project.

Phase 3: Platform App Builder Certification: focuses on empowering participants to design and build custom applications on the Salesforce platform. This phase is pivotal for those aiming to develop advanced solutions tailored to specific business needs combining theory and practical application with a capstone project.

Phase 4: Portfolio and Project Development: In this final phase we aim to simulate the work environment by completing real-world projects and developing personal portfolios leading to employment.

Life Choices’ signature personal development programme is integrated into the four phases. Through this, each participant is equipped with essential life skills, soft skills, and professional development. A

dditionally, Life Choices’ mental fitness programme supports participants' emotional and mental well-being, ensuring they are well-prepared for their journey towards employment.