Where did it all begin? The RCM Digital College recognized the need for digital skills as there weren’t enough skilled individuals who had the ability to work in a digital agency. Jeff Ellis, our CEO, then decided to start a college to teach the youth about the ever growing, volatile digital environment and to show them the opportunities that are available within it.
The Digital Skills Gap: Some Stats
- 40% of organizations are not able to find sufficient talent to handle their digital marketing workloads.
- 50% only half of digital marketers feel highly proficient in digital.
- 23% of employees have the digital capabilities required of them to achieve their business outcomes.
In June of 2016 our exciting project started. We got to work on our business plan with one mission in mind: to have a daily impact in people’s lives, both directly and indirectly, through the things that we say and the things we do!
Our Implementation Plan.
The RCM Digital College was built to assist learners who want to change their career path through skills programmes or for students who are interested in a full time course; with a career of digital marketing, website design and development, animation or gamification in mind. We have also developed an online learning option for people who are interested in furthering their education in the online space. The ultimate goal of The RCM Digital College is to address social economic issues of unemployment. We hope to conquer unemployment by upskilling individuals who are looking to make a difference in their lives.
Once we knew what our goal was and what we wanted to achieve we started the accreditation process. Our partnership with the MICT Seta started shortly after and we were soon accredited. In later stages, we have also achieved accreditation through the ICITP and successfully collaborated with the Digital Marketing Institute to obtain international accreditation.
We have employed managers and senior professionals from Right Click Media to facilitate our classrooms because we have realized the benefit in getting experienced individuals to impart their knowledge and experiences onto our students.
The Launch of the RCM School of Excellence:
Our first intake launched on 1 September 2016. We started with twelve students, and offered them bursaries through funding that we obtained from skills development initiatives. Our first intake was a great success.
By 18 July 2017, which is in fact Mandela Day, we had reached our goal of providing sixty-seven bursaries to the youth of South Africa.
We have now educated more than one hundred students through full time and online studies. Great portions of our graduates have been absorbed into Right Click Media and the majority have started their career in the digital space at other companies.
Conclusion
We are pleased to say that this will be our third year operational and it has been a worthwhile journey. The RCM Digital College hopes to grow the college nationally and across Africa. To find out more about our journey follow our social media pages and get involved with uplifting our beautiful South Africa.
