Opportunity Issue 107

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
Does that mean you have to be very capable in IT?
Not necessarily, but you do have to have some knowledge when
it comes to working with data. I don’t necessarily know about
advanced IT programming but I do have some programming
knowledge, which helps me to handle the data better. It is certainly
advantageous to have that knowledge.
Have you done IT courses?
No, but I do have a teachable spirit and I am curious. I work
independently and I look for resources to upskill myself.
And yet you are now in Human Resources (HR),
which seems at first glance to be a very different
field. Are you still working with data?
Here at Nedbank, there is a great project that aligns with what
I want and with how I see myself working in the future. We are
working towards moving HR to be more data driven. We are
working towards presenting insights from people analytics. I can
still serve a purpose here for the short term to medium term and
I am quite comfortable in this department.
Do you have siblings?
I have two siblings; my sister is the one that follows me and who is
studying in Stellenbosch. The youngest is in Grade 10.
What your parents started is now an entrenched family
tradition, then. Please give me an overall comment on
how you have experienced the YES programme.
I think YES is a great opportunity for young individuals like myself.
It has given me an opportunity to penetrate the work market, an
opportunity that would be rather difficult to come by even with
the level of qualifications that I have. I think it is an initiative that
should be implemented on a larger scale. Only a few organisations
are currently participating in it and I think it will definitely benefit
the entire country now and in the future. As a matter of fact, we
should have not just a YES initiative but more initiatives like this
to give the youth an opportunity like the one I was given. There is
great potential out there that is just waiting to be recognised and
to be given an opportunity.
Do you think you could be a mentor one day?
I look forward to that. We live in depressed societies and not
through any fault of our own. It can be very difficult if you somehow
stand out from the rest, by for example, applying for university.
I spoke earlier about my family setup which was very supportive
about me going to university but at some point, I did have to focus
and isolate myself from the people in my neighbourhood as their
life had taken a different trajectory. There is a danger that you are
going to fall into that trap as well with societal pressures and peer
pressure. It was a challenge but it is something that I conquered
and I am grateful that I did.
ABOUT YES
YES participant Ntanga Madzivhandila
has risen quickly from intern to specialist within Nedbank.
Having completed the YES programme, is there
someone with Nedbank who is mentoring you?
Yes there is. I used to have a bi-weekly meeting with a mentor
but now the onus is on me to schedule how frequently we meet.
We do speak and I am also part of a team. I engage with them
more frequently and they tell me or they teach me how they do
things and how I can further improve myself so in this way, I have
a support structure.
What do your parents think about your career right now?
More than anything I think they’re excited, they’re very hopeful
and they see exponential growth. I am the one who is a bit anxious
but on their side they’re very excited, they think that this is only
the beginning for me and it’s only up from here.
YES has reached the milestone of one-million job
opportunities. It is beginning to show success in shifting
South Africa’s complex and concerning challenge of youth
unemployment. YES is the highest-impact private-sector
youth-employment programme in South Africa. YES was
launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the first
cohorts kicked off the programme in 2019. YES addresses
the country’s youth unemployment crisis by empowering
businesses to create jobs for our unemployed youth. It is a
non-profit organisation that receives no government funding.
It works with leading businesses in various sectors to provide
12-month quality work experiences for unemployed young
people to become the future managers, skilled professionals
and entrepreneurs who will drive the economy forward.
In return, businesses receive one or two levels up on their
B-BBEE scorecard and can integrate participation into their
ESG strategies. YES does not perform a recruiting role. More
than 1 500 companies have signed on to the YES programme.
Website: www.yes4youth.co.za
36 | www.opportunityonline.co.za