FOR the fourth year in a row, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has created opportunities for unemployed youth through their participation in the national Youth Employment Service (YES) programme.
The 2022 intake of YES trainees was welcomed at VWSA in phases at the start of July, following work readiness training. Of the 565 trainees being employed in this cohort, 209 will be employed internally at VWSA sites in Kariega, Sandton and Centurion, while another 356 trainees will be employed within the national dealer network and by SMEs.
All trainees will be employed for a 12-month period, during which they can gain invaluable on-the-job experience on which they can build their careers going forward.
The YES programme was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018 to enable young people without formal qualifications to gain work experience, with the aim of improving their chances at long-term quality employment. Over the four years in which VWSA has given its support to the programme, the company has created a total of 2 165 opportunities.
“With a consistently high youth unemployment rate, initiatives such as the YES programme are crucial when it comes to empowering the youth,” said Nonkqubela Maliza, Director: Corporate and Government Affairs at VWSA. “Our investment in the YES programme has in previous years been met with a remarkable drive to succeed from our trainees, and as VWSA we have no doubt that the 2022 group will make the most of this opportunity as well. By continuously investing in youth development, we believe we are empowering the youth to build the futures they want.”
