Dr Sara Salih is the Business Unit Manager and a facilitator at accredited ICT training academy Dynamic DNA, a Dynamic Technologies group company. After six years of working as a higher education lecturer with learners from technical backgrounds, her passion for technology, education and helping people build skills that create real opportunities steered her towards a new challenge. Dynamic DNA gave her the space to help people from non-technical backgrounds build a solid foundation and step confidently into the workplace.

Sara’s work sits at the intersection of technology, education and workforce development, with a particular focus on how education can evolve to prepare people for a rapidly changing digital world. “Having worked in education, I now appreciate the different ways that it can shape people’s futures. One of the things I find most rewarding about Dynamic DNA is seeing how technical training can connect learning directly with employment prospects. That connection becomes real at graduation, when many of our learners walk in with job offers and the chance to begin their careers.”

Sara’s years of experience as a lecturer gave her a valuable perspective on how people learn and how education can translate into real opportunities. “I often worked with students who already had a strong technical foundation,” she explains. “However, at Dynamic DNA, I encounter learners from non-technical backgrounds, and part of my role is to help them see that a career in technology is within their reach.”

She adds, “I believe experienced facilitators bring more than technical knowledge into the classroom. They bring the ability to explain complex concepts in accessible ways, adapt to different learning needs and connect what learners are taught to what they will encounter in the workplace. Ultimately, the impact goes beyond completing a course or obtaining a certification. It’s about helping learners build confidence, recognise their potential and become better prepared to contribute in the workplace, even if this wasn’t an industry they had previously thought they could enter.”

Sara says, “Dynamic DNA has a mission that I believe in. Our vision, ‘Empowering a future fuelled by skills, innovation and inclusivity’, reflects an important need in South Africa: making technology skills accessible to people from different backgrounds.”

Dynamic DNA graduates offer potential employers a combination of technical knowledge, industry-recognised Microsoft or CompTIA certifications, practical project experience and exposure to different workplace functions. This helps them understand employer expectations and prepares them to contribute effectively in a professional environment.

Keeping up to date with emerging technologies is crucial, and Sara has a particular interest in AI. “AI is changing how we learn and work, and it has opened up new ways for people to access information and learn new skills,” she says. “I am particularly interested in a key question that AI has raised: just because we can get an answer in seconds, does that mean the answer is correct or that we truly understand it? We need to be able to evaluate the information we receive, question its sources, and understand how to use AI responsibly. Like many technologies, AI creates valuable opportunities, but it can also be misused, raising important ethical questions.

“The same applies in the workplace. As AI increasingly automates or supports routine tasks, people need to work alongside it, question its output and apply their own judgement. This is something I want my learners to understand. It is not enough to know how to use AI tools; they also need to recognise the limitations of AI tools and understand the difference between using technology responsibly and misusing it.

“This is where Dynamic DNA plays a role. Through industry-relevant training, recognised certifications, practical projects and workplace exposure, learners develop skills they can apply in professional environments. For me, it’s not just about teaching people to use today’s technology. It is about helping them become thoughtful, responsible and adaptable learners who will continue to grow as technology evolves.”