Priscilla Kennedy, founder of Piehole.tv, who is in charge of establishing the Nerd Academy.

Video production company Piehole.tv, in collaboration with ProcurementExpress.com has, through its programme KarooTech Hub, launched a free online studying project called the Nerd Academy.

The academy aims to uplift the platteland community of Somerset East, in the Eastern Cape, by offering online studying opportunities and training in technical as well as creative skill sets.

Priscilla Kennedy, founder of Piehole.tv, says the Nerd Academy is a new way to address joblessness in the Karoo.

"Education at university level is not always possible for families in the Karoo. It places untenable pressure on the family, and if, in rare cases, they do complete a course, finding a job is near to impossible.

"The Nerd Academy is one way in which we can assist to upskill unemployed people of any age, and then assist them to market themselves successfully.

"Currently, we have only invested our own time and equipment into the Nerd Academy and use our office space after hours to make it happen. We're currently looking to getting a bit of seed funding to help set up a new premise and get fibre Internet installed."

Kennedy elaborates on the creative side of the programme: "Creatively driven individuals often don't believe there are viable careers available and part of the Nerd Academy approach is to assist those who display creative potential to find a way to build a career using that same talent.

"The plan is to look at the individual, not the group. For example, some people in our group are good at drawing, and we're training them to become storyboard artists.

"While they're doing storyboard sketches, we simultaneously put them on Photoshop courses and the goal would ultimately be to get a design degree through Unisa and maybe even move to 3D animation afterwards.

"Other people already have degrees, but they don't know how to get business for themselves and we've got some training courses on pitching yourself online."

Currently, the academy has 20 students. "We do however estimate that we could process 60 students at a time, using 20 computers, working across three time zones (USA/Europe/Asia).

"It is challenging because at present we are training everyone at our own expense and sourcing online courses and tutorials that are free.

"The end goal, however, is to train people up to pitch for business online (overseas business) and ultimately have them make their own money," she noted.

Another objective is to make the academy self-sufficient: that is not dependent on funding and handouts.

"The model works and we are working towards making it more sustainable. Once that is done, expanding to other small towns across the country makes absolute sense. We're currently considering Bedford, Cookhouse and Alice."

Athol Trollip, executive mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, recently visited the Nerd Academy. "Visiting Piehole.tv in Somerset East has been mind-blowing. These guys are creating jobs from this small Karoo town where smart local talent is conducting online international business. They are bringing money and opportunity into the platteland."