Wipro expands South Africa internship programme

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: Wipro Ltd has announced plans to expand the intake of graduates for its successful internship programme in South Africa. Now in its second year, Wipro's local internship programme in South Africa had enrolled 70 graduates in 2013 and this will be increased to 150 in 2014.

"The internship programme is becoming a crucial enabler of Wipro's growth in Africa. For us, the programme is about nurturing talent for local leadership and ensuring that we have the right people on board - people who understand local culture, local markets and local customers across the African continent. We look for people that fit the entrepreneurial spirit of Wipro - those who have a willingness to learn and a creative and innovative bent of mind," said Saurabh Govil, senior VP, Human Resources, Wipro Ltd.

Internship applicants (B.SC students with a specialization in Mathematics and Science) from disadvantaged backgrounds are put through a process of entrance exams and interviews with local Wipro leadership to test attitudes to learning in addition to technical aptitude.

Post completion of the initial three months of theoretical training, the interns are interviewed for an apprentice role on a number of live projects. Once placed, the interns will receive supervised on-the-job training and mentorship for a further three months. The performance records will be reviewed and qualifying interns will be absorbed into Wipro's operations in South Africa.