Ardagh’s Centre of Excellence accepts new cohort of trainees
Published: May 1, 2024
Ardagh’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a skills development, training, and global IT service provider in Cape Town. The CoE develops skills and creates jobs for South African youth, who join a global IT service centre serving Ardagh’s businesses across Europe, the Americas, and Africa.
The CoE programme aims to bridge the digital divide and tackle the daunting youth unemployment challenge in South Africa. It presents talented, high achievers with opportunities they would not normally have access to. This helps to dismantle social barriers and ensures the technology sector becomes more inclusive and diverse.
The objective is not only to upskill individuals but to elevate them to a level where they can, in turn, become trainers and mentors for subsequent groups. This holistic approach seeks to create a perpetual chain of knowledge transfer, where each cohort of trainees become catalysts for the success of those who follow in their footsteps. This will be an ongoing cycle to build the necessary capability to serve Ardagh’s future technology requirements.
By cultivating a culture of continuous learning and mentorship, Ardagh aims to motivate and inspire these individuals to embark on enduring careers in the dynamic and ever-evolving field of technology. Through this model, Ardagh strives not only to meet the immediate demand for skilled professionals but also to foster a sustainable legacy of expertise and empowerment within the industry.
The first cohort of CoE trainee candidates recently celebrated their graduation and joined existing CoE hires as helpdesk agents at Ardagh’s Cape Town office. The helpdesk acts as a global hub for users to report problems, request assistance, and receive support related to software, hardware, network, and other IT infrastructure components.
The next cohort of trainees has already begun their twelve-month graduate accelerator programme with CAPACITI in Cape Town. When this concludes, they will join Ardagh via business process outsourcing partners EXL – supporting complex technology roles with skills in Microsoft and SAP software, data, cyber security and project management.
“The establishment of the CoE is not driven by business needs alone,” said Paul Curnow, Chief Executive Officer of Ardagh Glass Packaging–Africa. “We see this as a pioneering opportunity to make a positive difference by developing skills and growing jobs for South African youth in the increasingly important field of technology.”
In addition to the CoE, Ardagh works alongside several local charities as a means of giving back to communities around Cape Town and to underline Ardagh Group’s commitment to the region.
“Social development is at the core of our sustainability strategy and education is a key focus area of the community-support initiatives falling under this pillar. These initiatives can have a strong positive impact in our communities by providing opportunities for underserved communities to access quality education and pursue rewarding careers in technical fields,” concludes Curnow.
