The ITWeb/JCSE IT Skills Survey assesses local ICT skills landscape. The Roundtable held to discuss the results concluded that  the recession and the fact that university graduates are emerging into the job market lacking key skills are the major skills issues.

Message from Prof Barry Dwolatzky, Director of the JCSE at Wits

THE LATEST ITWeb/JCSE skills survey has found that ICT skills priorities have changed slightly over the past year. The 2008 survey showed business intelligence/knowledge management (BI/KM) as the top priority for companies; this year, application development was number one and network infrastructure was second.

The writing of source code in software development doesn't always follow proper processes, which often leads to risks and delays that could have been avoided through better planning and process management.

This is the view of Malcolm Rabson, MD of local software architecture developer, Dariel Solutions.

The JCSE CMMI Process improvement project is one of the dti 's two flagship projects in the ICT&E sector.The dti  has committed R5,42-million to this project over the next year.

The dti, the JCSE and the SAEEC hit the road with an Executive Briefing on Improving Business Performance

Wits University and the University of Johannesburg have partnered with the Innovation Hub and business to launch the CoachLab@JCSE, a leadership development programme for the ICT sector.

The Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) at Wits University and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) together with The Innovation Hub (TIH) and industry sponsors, Microsoft and Barone, Budge and Dominick launched the CoachLab@JCSE on July 28.

A South African becomes the 100 000^th individual worldwide to be trained in CMMI

BY PATRICIA PIETERSE , ITWEB JUNIOR JOURNALIST [ Johannesburg, 21 May 2009 ] - At the ITA skills development summit in Midrand this week, Professor Barry Dwolatzky, director of the Johannesburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) at Wits University, said most IT professionals today do not have formal qualifications.

On May 19, the Information Technology Association (ITA), in conjunction with the JCSE and ITWeb, hosted the Skills Development Summit, to examine the relationship between the IT skills crisis and the world economic crisis.

Nadia Nortje from the Electrotechnical unit at the dti and project manager for SAVANT is currently conducting research on Corporate Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Management within the ICT and Electronics (Electrotechnical) Sector.

So far, 2009 has been action-packed, with the JCSE organising/taking part in a number of major events.

Prof Barry Dwolatzky, Director of the Johannesburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) at Wits University was the only South African delegate at the SEI Software Engineering Process Group.

South African software development companies should cluster to form a body that addresses their common problems and positions them for global competitive advantage.

The JCSE has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the SmartXchange, a Durban-based public-private sector initiative that was established to develop a business base for the ICT sector in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Three Wits students automate university's health system in a bid to be readmitted after they were academically excluded.

The XP Forum has been successfully rebranded as the Agile Forum, with the first meeting taking place on the 17 March.

JCSE/SEI meets with DTI regarding international software pilot project.

JCSE partners with SAEEC and the dti to exhibit in the National Pavilion at CeBIT in Hannover,
Germany.

Happy New Year!  The JCSE wishes all its partners and friends a peaceful and successful 2009.  Watch this space, as we will bring you the latest news of our forthcoming activities in the next couple of weeks.

2008 is drawing to a close. The year just ending has been an extremely exciting one here at the JCSE. The year ahead promises to be even better. As the world around us slumps into the gloom of a global recession, how can I possibly be so optimistic?

The Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) has asked its stakeholders to provide input on subjects that they would like to see included in its 2009 programme.

 South African software developers need to be more systematic in their software development process in order to be globally competitive, says Prof. Barry Dwolatzky, Director of the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) at Wits University.

The Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) has asked its stakeholders to provide input on subjects that they would like to see included in its 2009 programme.

South African software development processes are likely to change dramatically for the better in the coming year, says the 2008 ITWeb/JCSE Skills Survey.

Microsoft, one of the JCSE's Platinum Partners, hosted "Developer Manager's Breakfasts" in Joburg and Cape Town.

The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) held a successful roadshow in October to showcase the best in ICT that South Africa has to offer. The roadshow covered key destinations spanning Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. 

The Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) and QuantiMetrics will be holding a Master Class on the 27th of August on the challenges of estimation in the software development lifecycle.

The JCSE leads SA delegation to Mexico and USA on as part of TSP exploratory trip.

The Johannesburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE), based at the University of the Witwatersrand, wants to learn more about the Team Software Process (TSP).