PwC and Revolent launch Salesforce program for indigenous talent
PwC has come together with Revolent and AIME to launch a new Salesforce training academy designed exclusively for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
International cloud recruitment and training specialist Revolent has teamed up with PwC’s Indigenous Consulting and indigenous mentoring outfit AIME to launch a Salesforce academy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, with the first group of students set to commence the twelve-month program from the beginning of next year.
According to LinkedIn figures, cloud computing is now the most in-demand skill around the world. “Australia’s first nations people are some of the world’s oldest technologists and have shaped the world around us,” said PwC’s Indigenous Consulting CEO Gavin Brown.
“But when it comes to the tech landscape today, we just don’t see indigenous people represented. The Indigenous Tech Academy is designed to address this and to ensure a meaningful and long-lasting change in the lives of people from Indigenous groups and their communities.”
With operations in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, Revolent is a flexible work placement agency which recruits and trains talent for the Salesforce and AWS ecosystems, with a range of certified engineer, developer and consultant courses on offer. The company has a keen focus on diversity & inclusion, and 30 percent of its trained recruits are female and almost two thirds come from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
“To succeed as a business, our clients don’t just need technical skills, they need the creative skills that only come from having a diverse team,” Revolent Group president Nabila Salem states on the company website. “We’re very proud to be able to support our clients and our sector in creating new diverse tech talent for the ecosystems we operate in and to be creating opportunities for (them) to have exciting careers in thriving cloud technologies.”
As part of Revolent’s careers development program, the Indigenous Tech Academy will be free-of-charge for 16 selected participants, with the program consisting of a paid ten-week training block and one year of practical experience working on real-world Salesforce projects through placements with large Australian organisations. No previous experience or degree is required, and high-school students have been encouraged to apply.
In the initial training phase, students of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island background will gain Salesforce consultant certification and learn how to build and manage apps and design user-friendly dashboards, along with being taught how to communicate across different stakeholders. As the graduates embark on their paid placements, the Revolent team and Salesforce experts and mentors will continue to provide support and guidance.
“We hope this inspires other cloud training providers and businesses to work together to deliver meaningful change for underrepresented communities,” said Revolent CEO James Lloyd-Townshend. “It’s been a genuine pleasure watching this program develop into a tangible initiative that will help young people gain in-demand skills, get work experience, and seize the opportunity to develop a rewarding and lucrative career in the cloud.”
