BPESA, the BPO/contact centre industry association in South Africa, has announced the unveiling of a new learning initiative that will use game mechanics to reach thousands of unemployed youth in South Africa.
The initiative, known as TeamC4, is a youth focused learning platform funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and forms part of the organisation’s broader strategy to assist in impacting 1 million lives through digital jobs growth in Africa.
“We are delighted to be partnering with BPESA to help expand opportunities for South Africa’s disadvantaged youth through the BPO sector. Though Gamification is still a relatively new concept in South Africa, it is one that will benefit an increasingly tech savvy talent pool and serves as an ideal platform to recruit, train and develop talent for this and other technology based industries,” says Mamadou Biteye, Managing Director, Rockefeller Foundation Africa Regional Office.
TeamC4 uses game mechanics as a key motivator for promoting contact centre learning. This is achieved through various game components which make use of appealing and engaging graphics and animation to engage with the market. TeamC4 will assess various core skills such as literacy, numeracy, language skills and problem solving capabilities.
The game will initially be available for download via the Google Play Store with plans for a broader rollout across South Africa. The official opening of the game is planned for the end of July.
The BPO/Contact centre industry in South Africa employs over 210,000 people and is one of the biggest sources of employment for the youth of the country, the demographic with the highest unemployment rate.
“What makes this such a wonderful industry is that it provides employment opportunities to a massive pool of talent in previously disadvantaged communities who in many instances would otherwise struggle to access working opportunities after school,” says Tebogo Molapisane, CEO of BPESA.
“There are huge pockets of untapped talent especially in the previously disadvantaged communities across South Africa. The problem until now, has been how to reach these individuals. Through this game, I believe we have found part of the answer.”