We just wrapped up two weeks of iHub Africa Boot Camp. This is the culmination of our 2022 Intake process that we’ve been running since October, 2021 to invite, filter-down and assess applicants to the program. Given we’ve only space for 50 seats (25 in GP, 25 in WC), we’ve raised our standards and moved them through an intensive 4-day assessment process to ensure we’re offering admission to the candidates with the highest potential to succeed. Candidates who are “hungry, humble and smart” – those we can work with to train and coach them to a place of readiness to land internships with our placement partners in just nine months of 5-days per week learning.
Boot Camp provided our program team of leaders and volunteers to put our new integrated online learning management system (or LMS) through its paces and fine tune our multi-hub approach.
You can see me above presenting my remarks as Co-Founder of the program on Day 1 of Boot Camp using our “in-studio” approach – where we no longer present/facilitate live in the student training rooms at either Hub – so that all students in both hub locations receive the same virtual learning experience. Volunteers are available at each hub to provide personal support and guidance to students in person.
Here Maurisa is presenting a summary of the program over the Zoom live link.
And Liz is setting up one of the assessments on composing an “elevator speech”.
We ran two duplicate weeks of Boot Camp, each 4 days in duration with 25 short-listed candidates in the GP hub and another 25 in the WC hub. In addition to introducing them to our powerful LMS, we assessed them on various hard skills such as English language proficiency, general internet, PC skills and typing; introductory digital marketing knowledge and concepts application along with their ability to use a broad array of industry-standard, cloud-based productivity, collaboration and project management apps; and we tested their ability to communicate one-on-one and in group settings, work collaboratively, problem solve and provide us insights on their leadership ability, character and personality – often with stress, deadlines and conflict intentionally introduced to observe their adaptability, perseverance and tenacity.
We had some expected attrition as the weeks moved on. Our LMS captured a truck load of data on these amazing applicants and now we must gather as a core team, analyze the information and determine who’ll be our selected 50 students we’ll offer admission seats for the 2022 program. Offers will go out the week of 23-Feb, confirmations due by 28-Feb with orientation and onboarding running March 3-4. Phase one of the full, 3-stream program (Digital Marketing, Soft Skills for Business and Leadership & Identity) will launch 7-Mar.
Exciting times ahead! The Boot Camp rooms were full of so much potential and we cannot wait to welcome these hungry, humble and smart young-adult learners into program and watch them transform into the digital economy professionals of the future and forever change their life’s and their family’s trajectory.