Johannesburg, August, 2012 – 18 months ago 160 matriculants were among the ranks of South Africa’s unemployed, with no training, no experience and slim chances of finding decent jobs.
But now these 160 young adults, from in and around Gauteng, have graduated with a NQF level 5 qualification and a year’s experience in retailing, which has resulted in full time positions for many of them.
In May last year, these students were recruited onto the W&RSeta’s Unemployed Youth Assistance Project (UYAP). “We selected the students on the grounds that they passed matric or qualified academically for tertiary training but were prevented from enrolling into courses due to financial constraints,” said Leigh Blochlinger, who heads up Retail Relate, a SETA-accredited institution that specialises in retail training.
Once the learners were selected by Retail Relate, they were placed in various willing retailer’s stores, namely AutoZone, Essential Tool and Hardware, Hoxies Food, CN Furnishers, Bedson Timbers and Redgwoods where they gained a years’ practical experience. Over the 12 month learnership, which ran from May 2011 until April 2012, the learners gained experience in all areas of the retail store, while they received theoretical training from Retail Relate.
The graduation for these learners was held on the 3rd of August 2012, and was proudly attended by the retailers, the training provider, the graduates and their parents, as well as dignitaries from the W&RSeta, including the CEO, Mr Joel Dikgole.
“37 of the 40 learners which AutoZone accommodated in our stores in this project achieved their NQF Level 5 qualification, which is an excellent result. 48% have thus far been offered employment with us,” said Jean Lindsay, HR Manager at AutoZone, one of South Africa’s largest automotive parts retailers, which has 102 wholly-owned retail stores nationally.
“The programme was a great success. Not only did we assist the unemployed youth with invaluable retail experience, but a skilled recruitment pool has been created for the retail industry, which is so desperately needed,” she said.
AutoZone currently has a further 81 learners in our stores on a similar W&RSeta project in the rural areas (Free State, Northern Cape, Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga), which is also being facilitated by Retail Relate.
“Skills shortages and unemployment statistics are higher in the rural than urban areas. The Rural Youth Assistance Programme is allowing the youth to become marketable, curbing unemployment and upskilling the industry in these desperate regions,” said Ms Lindsay.
“Further to the above two projects, AutoZone has also embarked on a project in conjunction with the ‘W&R Seta’, the ‘South African Disability Development Trust’ and ‘About Learning’ where we have 64 disabled learners in our stores currently working towards their NQF Level 2 National Certificate in Wholesale and Retail Operations. Disabled unemployed members of society face huge challenges in entering the job market,” she said.
“With competition for any employment so high, their physical or learning difficulties often place them at a disadvantage. At the end of April 2013, these 64 learners will have been trained in all areas in retail, will have a qualification, and will be able to offer a skill to any retailer. We hope to be able to employ many of these graduates at the end of their programme,” said Ms Lindsay.
“AutoZone embraces these projects. Today’s graduation of our first group of learners is a special day for all stakeholders. I am extremely proud of the impact that we are having out there, as I’m sure so are the other retailers involved,” she said.
“There is a shortage in the supply of adequately qualified and trained mid-level managers – currently, nearly 70 percent of the posted job adverts require skilled and senior labour, but only 44% of potential career seekers represent the demanded skills. The demand for entry-level and junior staff is very low, yet these positions would be the only option for those with a matric certificate or less,” said Mrs Blochlinger.
“The UYAP students – whose NQF 5 qualification will raise their educational level to one year beyond matric – will soon be eligible for the middle management positions that skills shortages were preventing from being filled,” she said.
“The fact that this programme is aimed at young people who were previously unemployed encourages them to excel in what they do with the view of impressing the host employers where the training takes place,” said Dr. Hennie Zwarts, chief operating officer of the Wholesale and Retail SETA.
“The programme literally takes young people off the streets where the temptation to get up to no good is strong and turns them into responsible citizens who can provide for their families. While some will be permanently employed after completing the programme, others will use the skills they gained during the training to start their own businesses, thus contributing to the economic growth and development of their communities. This is one of those projects the Wholesale and Retail SETA prides itself in as the impact is immediately felt,” he said.
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