A comprehensive guide to Torque IT’s game-changing learnerships

In a country grappling with rising unemployment and a widening digital divide, the question is no longer whether digital skills are important but how fast we can equip the next generation to meet this need. South Africa is facing a digital tipping point. While businesses increasingly rely on data, automation, and emerging technologies, the supply of qualified IT professionals has not kept pace. At the same time, millions of young South Africans are eager for a foot in the door. Torque IT’s accredited learnerships offer an urgent and practical bridge between the two. 

Learnerships are a vital tool for solving two of South Africa’s biggest problems: youth unemployment and the shortage of digital skills. According to the World Economic Forum, Africa will require more than 230 million digitally skilled jobs by 2030. Yet, according to The Institute for Management Development (IMD), only 37% of South African businesses have a formal digital transformation strategy in place. The disconnect is striking and costly. Organisations are struggling to remain competitive in a digital economy, while nearly half of the country’s youth population remains unemployed. 

This isn’t just a social issue, it’s an economic one. Businesses that fail to invest in digital skills risk falling behind. Torque IT’s learnerships present a win-win opportunity: they empower young people to build real careers in IT and enable companies to strengthen their future workforce while meeting compliance and transformation goals. 

How Torque IT is filling a critical gap 

Torque IT has built its learnership ecosystem with a clear goal — to go beyond check-box training and instead deliver meaningful, job-ready skills that benefit both learners and employers. Our learnerships are not simply compliance exercises for B-BBEE scorecards. Instead, they are part of a larger, strategic effort to future-proof South African businesses and uplift our country’s workforce through practical, accredited, and industry-aligned education. 

What makes Torque IT stand out is our integration of global vendor certifications into locally accredited programs. Through partnerships with leading technology providers and the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA), Torque IT ensures that our learners are trained on current, in-demand technologies. These are not abstract academic programs, but practical and targeted, built to meet real business needs in areas like artificial intelligence, software development, cybersecurity, technical support, and data analysis. 

Each learnership runs for approximately 12 months and is aligned with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The structure blends classroom learning with hands-on workplace experience, creating a balanced and immersive environment for learners. The result is a graduate who is not only certified, but also workplace ready; equipped with both technical knowledge and professional experience. 

Importantly, these programs are funded by corporate sponsors, and learners receive a monthly stipend during the duration of the program. Torque IT manages the entire process, from learner recruitment to training delivery and workplace placement. For host companies, this means they can take on learners with no financial obligation, which is an ideal model for businesses that want to invest in youth development and digital capacity without stretching internal resources. 

A pathway for youth and businesses alike 

Torque IT’s learnerships are particularly targeted at unemployed youth who have at least a Grade 12 qualification and a passion for technology. The programs also accommodate disabled learners, with additional support and placement assistance available. For many, this is the first step into a formal, structured career in one of the most resilient and in-demand sectors of the economy. 

For businesses, hosting a learner offers more than just a feel-good opportunity. It provides a pipeline of talent that has been trained to meet current business demands. Companies can support skills development and transformation objectives while also embedding promising candidates into their own teams. In many cases, these learners go on to become permanent employees, already trained in the systems and tools the business uses. 

Torque IT also offers customised learnership solutions for businesses that want to train their existing staff or create bespoke programs aligned to specific technologies or business outcomes. These corporate IT training solutions extend the value of the learnership model beyond youth development, into strategic workforce upskilling. 

Torque IT currently offers five key learnerships, each aligned with a specific NQF level and focused on a critical area of IT: 

Building careers and business resilience 

Torque IT’s learnerships are about more than entry-level access to the IT industry. They provide structured, accredited career pathways that can evolve over time. A learner who begins with End User Computing, for example, could progress to Technical Support, then into Systems Development or specialised fields like cybersecurity, data analytics, or cloud computing through additional training. 

At the same time, businesses can build internal talent pipelines, reduce their long-term hiring costs, and improve retention by investing in people who already understand their systems and culture. Hosting learners through Torque IT is also a powerful way to strengthen your employment equity strategy, with support available for recruiting and integrating disabled learners into your business. 

The learnership model also creates an opportunity for broader impact. By investing in digital skills development through structured training and real workplace experience, Torque IT is helping to reduce systemic barriers to employment, improve workplace readiness, and prepare thousands of young South Africans for long-term success in an increasingly digital economy. 

For more information, visit www.torque-it.com or contact the team at TorqueITLearnerships@torque-it.com. Whether you’re a young person looking to start your career, or a business ready to future-proof your workforce, now is the time to act. 

FAQs 

What is a Torque IT learnership? 

A Torque IT learnership is a structured vocational training programme combining accredited classroom instruction (aligned with NQF levels 3–5) and hands‑on work experience leading to a nationally recognised IT qualification, such as End‑User Computing, Technical Support, Systems Development, or Systems Support. Run through Torque IT’s Career Campus and authorised by bodies like MICT SETA and the QCTO, our qualifications are designed to address domestic and global skills gaps in digital transformation, AI, cybersecurity, big data and more. 

Are Torque IT learnerships accredited? 

Yes, Torque IT learnerships are fully accredited. They follow the South African NQF framework, registered with MICT SETA, or alternatively the QCTO and deliver qualifications validated by SAQA. Additionally, the programmes are vendor‑endorsed through partnerships with global tech providers and are delivered by certified instructors using industry‑standard materials and labs. 

Who can apply for a Torque IT learnership? 

Learners typically include South African individuals aged between 16 and 35 who meet specific programme entry requirements (like a Grade 12 for NQF 4–5 qualifications) and are either unemployed or currently employed, as a positive learnership outcome can support individual careers and employer skills development strategies. 

Do I get paid during a learnership? 

Yes, participants generally receive a learner allowance, not a full salary, designed to cover transport and meal costs. If employed, you continue your existing salary; if not, you’re paid a regulated allowance based on your learnership level. These allowances are regulated by The Sectoral Determination regulations.