Samsung Innovation Campus: 2nd Cohort of Bright-Eyed Lerotholi Polytechnic Students Graduate in Coding, Programming & AI

Twinning Agreement Fostered to Coach LP Student Community Critical Skills in Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in a bid to boost youth employment

In a bid to boost youth employment in Lesotho’s technology sector, Samsung Electronics and Lerotholi Polytechnic (LP) hosted a certificate award ceremony for a group of 49 students from the second cohort in the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) Programme. These students have completed the course in coding and programming (C&P) as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Samsung Innovation Campus Artificial intelligence graduates

In collaboration with the selected institutions of higher learning in both Lesotho and South Africa, this specialised SIC programme seeks to provide various technology-aligned courses to a targeted group of students. Ultimately, the two partners’ objective is to increase students’ chances of employability after school, by ensuring that critical skills in coding and programming and AI are taught to the youth.

Samsung Innovation Campus Coding and programming graduates

In the first year of the strategic agreement between Samsung and LP, the programme offered basic coding and programming education. This year, 49 students were inducted to kick-start the programme and AI course was added to the curriculum, as these are critical skills needed to develop the country’s youth into employable technology innovators. One of the main objectives of the programme is to help Lesotho-based youth to develop their 4IR skills and empower themselves to become future technological entrepreneurs. When asked, this is what one of the students, Tlokotsi Potloane in the SIC programme had to say:

“As the beneficiaries of this SIC programme, we are grateful to Samsung Electronics and Lerotholi Polytechnic for investing in the youth of Lesotho. Your giant foot-steps are greatly felt. Today’s graduation is not just a milestone for us as the graduates, but a testament to the transformative power of technology and education that Samsung Electronics has embarked on, in Lesotho.

“With this SIC programme, we are now a group of work-force ready graduates and have gained skills that have opened our minds to endless possibilities within the tech world. This opportunity has provided us with more than just technical skills, but has also given us a sense of purpose, ignited our creativity and equipped us with the tools to solve real-world problems.”

The breakdown of beneficiaries that will be graduating in this second cohort of the SIC Programme is as follows:

• 49 students from LP’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology and other institutions; where
• 19 students completed C&P (Python) and 30 students completed the AI courses.

Prof. Spirit Tlali Rector of Lerotholi Polytechnic said: “As an institution, we are very grateful for the continued support that we have received from Samsung since the first year of our partnership. Samsung has ensured that we have a generous supply of academic tools, lecturer salaries and materials needed to guarantee the smooth running and successful execution of this important programme.”

“Our institution’s focus is not only based on academic excellence, but also on providing our youth with a blend of critical skills needed by the Lesotho economy. Samsung’s partnership has offered our institution an opportunity to expose a sample of our tertiary students to these employability courses, so that the impact they will have could be spread across various industries,” he added.

This six-month long SIC programme which commenced in March this year offers students the opportunity to enhance their employment prospects and gain practical education in technologies through both classroom learning and online-based courses. In the first cohort, about 30 LP students benefitted however, in the second cohort Lerotholi Polytechnic had enrolled 50 students; 30 were sourced from within LP and 20 from other institutions.

LP students that participated in this year’s SIC programme – are completing their final year in the following courses:

• Carpentry & Joinery, Electrical Installation, Fitting & Machining, Architectural Technology, Civil Engineering,
• Construction Management, Computer Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Panel Beating,
• Spray Painting as well as Water & Environmental Engineering.

Importantly, for Samsung, this global SIC programme seeks to empower a generation of problem-solvers by equipping them with future-proof skills and practical understanding of the technologies that will shape their future and enrich the sustainable growth of the world.

Lenhle Khoza, B-BBEE and Transformation Manager at Samsung concluded: “For us at Samsung, it is fulfilling to be part of a programme that allows students to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential in the technology world.

“By continuing our partnership with Lerotholi Polytechnic, we are re-affirming our commitment of ensuring that we provide a better future for the youth in Africa through education. With this SIC programme, Lesotho graduates will now be able to put into practice what they have learned and pursue their dreams as either technology entrepreneurs or secure job placements in the country’s ICT sector.”