They have answered this call through the implementation of an internship programme to provide 150 graduates with work experience.
“The experiential learning and in-service mentorship programme is aimed at exposing unemployed graduates to the work environment by providing them with an in-house and practical experience to acquire related skills and knowledge in their chosen disciplines,” says metro spokesman Sam Modiba.
He explains the metro hire suitably qualified graduates who reside in Ekurhuleni, to acquire work experience through undertaking comprehensive in-service experiential learning placements within various divisions of the metros department of economic development across the 20 municipal customer care centres.
The graduates, Sam adds, will be working in the fields of public administration, agriculture, project management, community development and business management.
Tshepang Mathebula, one of the fortunate graduates, is currently working with Fred Jones, manager of the Business Linkage Centre (BLC), for one year to gain experience in business management.
“I have learned a lot so far, not only at the BLC but at the Vosloorus Customer Care Centre where I started as an intern,” says Tshepang.
Sam emphasised that eligible graduates are strictly those who have completed their studies and have no work experience whatsoever. The graduates receive a stipend of R2 500 a month.
The rationale here is to help graduates become employable. Once we have exposed them to the dynamics of a working environment, upon completion of the programme a certificate of service is issued to all candidates as a form of a credible reference which will help them become employable, he points out.
According to Fred, the advantage of this project is that it works both ways. The intern gets exposure in a variety of disciplines and the BLC gets assistance to manage the flow of people coming into the office.
“Tshepang is capturing company data onto the database of the BLC, controls the appointments and also sits in with interviews regarding business information and growth when private individuals come in for business advice.
“She is exposed to the principals of the BBBEE act and the issuing of the necessary certificates,” says Fred.
He adds that although Tshepang has a degree in accounting science, this opportunity gives her a wider exposure to business in general.
Arrangements are being made for her to be placed at a company where she will be working in the procurement division for further experience.
Tshepang says she is glad she has had the opportunity to work with Fred.
“He is spot on and shares information with me. He is a real mentor and I am privileged to work with him,” she says.
She adds that she went to the metro with a mindset that she won’t learn a lot, but was proven wrong.
“It is remarkable. I learned so much and I keep on learning,” she adds.
For more information on the programme, contact Collin Ramogale on 011 999 8231/7711/1158.
