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Nedbank and ORT SA “Make Things Happen” Through Their YES Program

Nedbank and ORT SA “Make Things Happen” Through Their YES Program

by | Feb 22, 2021 | Old News

Nedbank and ORT SA “Make Things Happen” for Unemployed Youth Through Their YES Program

Nedbank Logo

Actions speak louder than words.

A profound, if stern, proverb that tells us what someone does is always more telling about their character than what they say. The Nedbank YES Programme, in collaboration with ORT SA, strived to exemplify this mentality. 

It was one of many YES (Youth Employment Services) programmes in the country aimed at providing employment opportunities for the country’s youth. 

In this article, we will briefly cover how their plan turned promises into reality and ended up making things happen in the lives of many young people. 

The Nedbank YES program started in May 2019 and ended in April 2020. Nedbank, in collaboration with ORT SA, had one goal for their programme: to provide employment opportunities for 400 young people. As with any big undertaking the programme faced many trials and tribulations, but overall it was a great success for both organisations. 

What People Had to Say

Khabiso Matlanyane, a beneficiary of the programme who’s now a fulltime businessman, had this to say: “It was a great experience. All the organisations involved went far and beyond to meet our needs. The level of professionalism was way beyond my expectations.”

Khabiso also praised the various opportunities and skills the programme presented him with, saying: ”There are various skills that I’ve acquired through the program. First, I now know how to work and communicate with children. Second, I can diagnose technical issues in the workplace & lastly, I’ve developed an attitude of having a good work ethic in the workplace. Currently, I’m a self-employed general dealer. As an agency, we focus on distribution, tutoring and recruitment.”

Mphumeleli Ndlovu, another beneficiary turned businessman, had this to say after securing a job placement because of the program: “The overall experience was life-changing and impactful because the principals and teachers went out of their way to teach me as many lessons as possible. It has inspired me to invest in people from similar situations as a means to empower young people like myself and make meaningful changes to others around me!” 

Mr Ndlovu went on to start his own business, called Allure Water Co, and he attributes his success to the skills and exposure he received from the programme. 

Conclusion

It is becoming increasingly clear that to resolve South Africa’s persistent socio-economic problems, big businesses need to step up to the plate and do their part to create meaningful change. 

As Martin Luther King Junior once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

The YES Programme was a great step towards empowering the country’s youth. It’s only through uplifting the lives of individuals that we can truly start making things happen. 

By Milani Falitenjwa 

The Liquid Telecom and ORT SA YES Program Educates the Youth

The Liquid Telecom and ORT SA YES Program Educates the Youth

by | Feb 22, 2021 | Old News

The Liquid Telecom and ORT SA YES Program Tackles Youth Unemployment in SA

Author, Matshona Dhliwayo once said, “Today’s tears water tomorrow’s gardens.” 

One might say this adage hearkens back to the more common proverb that things get better over time, but there’s more to it than that.

In South Africa, we are plagued by a persistent pandemic of a different sort. A crisis of unemployment and a lack of education that festers like a disease at the heart of our society. 

But it’s not all bad news. We’d like to highlight how upskilling and educating the youth can change lives and begin to bring an end to this issue. 

The Liquid Telecom YES (Youth Unemployment Services) Program

Picture taken at the ORT SA Liquid Telecom YES ProgramThe Liquid Telecom YES program, in collaboration with ORT SA, started on the 28th of February 2020 and will be ending on the 28th of February 2021. The purpose of the program was to uplift 32 young individuals by teaching them Office Administration and computer literacy skills. The program faced numerous setbacks due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but the outcome was still an overwhelming success. 

The program consisted of one year of work experience where the youth were placed in schools where they underwent Google Computer Science Facilitation and learned about Office Administration amongst other workplace roles.

During the course of the program, the young participants were exposed to a wide array of courses including Microsoft Office skills, Work Readiness skills, Introduction to Coding and the internationally recognised IT Essentials by Cisco course. All of these courses were designed not only to educate participants but also to prepare them to work in today’s fast-paced technological workplace.

What People Had to Say About the Program

Omphemetse Neethline Khuduge, one of the beneficiaries, had this to say about her experience: “The Liquid Telecom project has changed me a lot. I have become more of [sic] a different person than I was two years back. I obtained knowledge that will help me as an IT Technician.”

When asked about the project results thus far, Junior Project Manager at ORT SA Rivario Abrahams had this to say: “Firstly, this project has changed the youth’s thinking ability and I feel that they have gained a lot of knowledge in the twelve months of this program. Some of them have learned to invest their money, and others have opened their small businesses. It was a great experience managing the project and the youth.”

Conclusion

In the same way, uneducation and employment can be thought of as a pandemic eating away at our country, we also have a “vaccine” against it. We need to uplift and equip young people with the skills they need to take control of their own lives and work towards a better tomorrow.

By Milani Falitenjwa