Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # d-lab Reimagining Digital Skills Development ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://d-lab.co.za/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Hello world!](https://d-lab.co.za/hello-world-2/) - Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! - [Hello world!](https://d-lab.co.za/hello-world/) - Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! ## Pages - [Home](https://d-lab.co.za/) - d-lab is a unique skills development and work-readiness programme for unemployed young people. We focus on design thinking and on developing digital skills. - [d-lab didn't give me a plan](https://d-lab.co.za/my-d-lab-journey/) - By Kiyasha Singh Honestly, before I joined d-lab, I didn’t have a plan. I wasn’t sure whether I should continue studying, start working, or take a completely different path. I knew I wanted to move forward, but I didn’t know what that would look like or where I would fit in the working world.d-lab didn’t - [Blogs](https://d-lab.co.za/blog/) - d-lab didn't give me a plan Language is the key that unlocks the door to education From Lockdown to Lives Changed Rethinking How we Empower Young People Why we recruit for shining eyes instead of perfect answers Bridging Worlds: Lessons from Mentorship Establishing a Community of Practice Scaling Educational Impact Fueling Financial Inclusion Raising the - [Language is the key that unlocks the door to education - but too often, that key doesn’t fit every learner’s lock](https://d-lab.co.za/language-is-the-key-that-unlocks-the-door-to-education-but-too-often-that-key-doesnt-fit-every-learners-lock/) - By H. Johannes Backer and Nolan Beudeker“Language is the key that unlocks the door to education. Too often, that key doesn’t fit every learner’s lock.”A student failed her assessment. She knew the answer. She just couldn’t find the words for it in English.She’d done the work and understood the concept. But the only language her - [From Lockdown to Lives Changed](https://d-lab.co.za/from-lockdown-to-lives-changed/) - By Barbara Dale-JonesIt’s now our fifth year. When I say that out loud, it still catches me a little off guard. Not because the time has flown, but because of how much ground we’ve covered from such an unlikely starting point.It began, as so many unexpected things did, in 2020. The world had just ground - [Enquire](https://d-lab.co.za/enquire/) - Would you like to find out more about our integrated 3-part programme? Kindly complete the form and one of our members will revert back to you shortly. - [Donate](https://d-lab.co.za/donate/) - We really need your help to make this programme succeed and to give many more unemployed young people the chance and the skills to succeed in the World of Work. - [Contact Us](https://d-lab.co.za/contact-us/) - Would you like to find out more about our programs, become a mentor, a coach, or donate? Send us an email on hq@d-lab.co.za - [Be a Mentor](https://d-lab.co.za/be-a-mentor/) - Each student will have a mentor whose main role is to offer informal motivation, support, & advice. Mentors will help students to navigate the programme. - [Be a Coach](https://d-lab.co.za/be-a-coach/) - The Design Thinkers Lab has an unconventional approach to learning. There are no teachers. We put each student in charge of their learning and progress. - [Newsletters](https://d-lab.co.za/quarterly-news-letters/) - [2025 Newsletter](https://d-lab.co.za/2025-newsletter/) - [2026 Q1 Newsletter](https://d-lab.co.za/newsletters/) - [Why We Recruit for “Shining Eyes” Instead of Perfect Answers](https://d-lab.co.za/why-we-recruit-for-shining-eyes-instead-of-perfect-answers/) - By Ayanda OrraiIf recruitment were a sport, most organisations would still be playing it the same way they did 20 years ago. Submit your CV, hope it looks impressive, sit in an interview, and say the “right” things. If you have mastered the art of sounding competent for 30 minutes, congratulations, you’re in.But here’s the - [From Access to Agency: Rethinking How We Empower Young People](https://d-lab.co.za/from-access-to-agency-rethinking-how-we-empower-young-people/) - By Siphumezo AdamWhen I joined the d-lab programme in 2022 as part of the pilot cohort, I was fresh out of school and full of assumptions about what the working world looked like. Like many young people, my idea of adulthood focused on the visible rewards, earning an income, independence, and success. What I didn’t - [Establishing a Community of Practice (CoP)](https://d-lab.co.za/establishing-a-community-of-practice-cop/) - All my life, I have enjoyed the challenge of teaching, especially those at secondary school level, and then later training with adults. There is excitement in seeing how different minds grapple and cope with problems, how new concepts are dissected and learnt. Learning in a group is important to assist individuals to unravel, to interrogate, - [Bridging Worlds: Lessons from Mentorship](https://d-lab.co.za/bridging-worlds-lessons-from-mentorship/) - by Craig Higson-Smith and Sabelo NgwenyaWhen we first began our mentoring relationship, both of us — one in his fifties, one in their twenties — were unsure what to expect. One of us came from a world of professional networks, stable income, and long years of experience; the other from a background where opportunity is - [Fueling Financial Inclusion](https://d-lab.co.za/fueling-financial-inclusion/) - d-lab: Fueling Financial Inclusion and National Economic Growth in South AfricaIn the vibrant townships of George and White River, and the bustling Johannesburg CBD, a remarkable transformation is underway. Young South Africans, once facing limited opportunities, are now designing apps, conducting market research for major financial institutions, and securing jobs at organizations like Strideshift.AI, Maxtec, - [Scaling Educational Impact](https://d-lab.co.za/september-blog/) - How AI-Powered Assessment is Transforming Youth Development at d-labUsing Technology to Scale People, Not Replace Themd-lab is tackling one of South Africa’s most pressing challenges: in the first quarter of 2025, youth unemployment (ages 15 to 34) reached 46.1%. 58.7% of these unemployed youth have no previous work experience. The innovative nine-month d-lab programme transforms - [Raising the Bar: How will AI Transform Educational NGOs](https://d-lab.co.za/raising-the-bar-how-will-ai-transform-educational-ngos/) - by David Kramer, Co-founder of d-lab.It’s hard to imagine life before AI, even though its widespread use can still be measured in months rather than years. Across industries, people are learning when, where, and how to use AI effectively, constructively, and ethically.Education is no exception. Like every other sector, it faces a mix of opportunities - [Our Coaches & Mentors](https://d-lab.co.za/our-coaches-mentors/) - Our students are supported and guided by a range of role models from industry who have deep experience in the modern workplace. - [Gallery](https://d-lab.co.za/gallery/) - View some of our photos of d-lab students. d-lab is a unique skills development and work-readiness programme for unemployed young people. - [Who We Are](https://d-lab.co.za/who-we-are/) - d-lab is a non-profit project of the Field Lab Institute, which develops digital workplace skills in unemployed youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. - [Stay In Touch](https://d-lab.co.za/stay-in-touch/) - Stay connected with us by subscribing to your newsletter. You will receive information with regards to our training programs and other relevant information. - [About d-lab](https://d-lab.co.za/about-d-lab/) - d-lab is a unique skills development and work-readiness programme for unemployed young people. We focus on design thinking and on developing digital skills. - [Partners](https://d-lab.co.za/partners/) - Our industry partners have invested funds, resources, time, and effort to ensure that the programme produces job-ready young people. - [Our Students](https://d-lab.co.za/our-students-2/) - OUR STUDENTS Our 2023 students (Cohort 2) are ambitious, smart, unemployed young people, mainly from Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape. This second group of students was selected after going through a rigorous and competitive selection process. Future students will come from across the country, and then from all corners of the globe. - [Thank You](https://d-lab.co.za/thank-you/) - Thank you for your enquiry Back to Home Page - [Our Students](https://d-lab.co.za/our-students/) - Our first group of students (Cohort 1) are ambitious, smart, unemployed young people, mainly from Diepsloot in Gauteng and Langa in the Western Cape. - [Privacy Policy](https://d-lab.co.za/privacy-policy/) - This Privacy Policy describes our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of your information. - [Terms & Conditions](https://d-lab.co.za/terms-conditions/) - This website is operated by d-lab. By visiting our site you engage in our “Service” and agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions - [Get Involved](https://d-lab.co.za/get-involved/) - We are looking for coaches and mentors to join us and help students enter and thrive in the world of work and to develop into leaders. ## Categories - [Uncategorized](https://d-lab.co.za/category/uncategorized/) - [Uncategorised](https://d-lab.co.za/category/uncategorised/)