The South African economy will rise to the skills of its youth

In 2018, the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi) hired me to design the blueprint for the CapaCiTi digital career accelerator. Post-Apartheid policies mandated accessible education, but graduates lacked the skills for the digital economy and businesses in the region lacked the talent needed to grow.

We designed the blueprint for a future fit workforce

Workforce design is hard because the needs of employers, job seekers, training providers, and institutional funders must be harmonized in an ever-evolving ecosystem. I designed a blueprint for building relevant, cost-effective training programs that align the needs of job seekers and employers at scale.

We elevated team culture to meet the challenge

The CiTi team was skilled at managing funder relationships and operationalizing programs. But to realize the potential of the blueprint the team needed to level up its ability to innovate and center the needs of job seekers and employers. I ran a company-wide design sprint to revitalize team dynamics and company culture.

We helped thousands launch tech careers

Today, CapaCiTi continues to make an impact. Thousands of South Africans have launched tech careers in cloud computing, data analysis, software development, and more. These career wins also help grow industries that help the South African economy realize the post-apartheid promise of prosperity for all.

"You are able to make sense out of a high degree of jumbled information. Your work output is immense. You have really helped the team with culture, behaviours and changing ways of working. Your style is thought provoking and positively challenging!"

Fiona Tabraham, Chief Executive @ CiTi