MultiChoice, YES partner to create youth employment in South Africa
MultiChoice Group (MCG) announces its partnership with the Youth Employment Service (YES) initiative which has resulted in the creation of 400 new job opportunities. In addition, MCG has created 100 sports coaching learnerships through its Let’s Play initiative. The two partnerships equate to a total investment of R50 million towards putting 500 South African youth to work.
The young people will be employed in industries that include telecommunication, human resource management, engineering, satellite communication, coaching and ICT. In addition, the opportunity has been spread to youngsters across different provinces, including Eastern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and North West.
Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group Chief Executive Officer says: ''We have a long history of supporting and investing in programmes that are skewed towards the youth. Through a host of corporate social investment programmes, education, skills development, enterprise development, and sports development initiatives, we are helping to shape a new generation of South Africans who are ready to lead the continent into the next era.''
By the end of 2019, approximately 60% of South Africa’s employable youth were without jobs and, within an economy that was experiencing slow to no growth, prospects were limited. This has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which has seen the economies of developed, and developing, countries brought to their knees. Now, more than ever, job creation and skills development has become absolutely crucial.
The YES initiative is a business-led collaboration with government to create work opportunities for unemployed black South Africans between the ages of 18 and 35. Through the MultiChoice partnership, candidates in the initiative will be given new electronic devices, such as laptops, so that they can fully participate in training.
Dr Tashmia Ismail-Saville, Chief Executive Officer of YES, says: ''MultiChoice is pioneering the behaviours we need to see all companies display in the future, as it embraces true transformation. This COVID-19-battered economy is seeing unprecedented job losses and economic fallout and youth are once again going to bear the brunt of this catastrophe. We cannot afford to leave another generation behind. The MultiChoice YES project is a perfect example of meaningful transformation and how companies can support the country’s way out of the crisis by creating employment opportunities and incomes so desperately needed for our communities to emerge less bruised.''
The Let’s Play Physical Education Challenge has, over the past five years, become one of the Department of Basic Education’s flagship school enrichment programmes. Through this programme, more than 100 000 primary school learners have – during the past two years – been encouraged to adopt physical activity as a lifestyle. The initiative has also equipped Life Orientation teachers with the tools they need to become better Physical Education implementers.
''Our business is all about enriching lives and creating magic; creating spaces where people can imagine and live their dreams. It is an incredible opportunity to be able to translate this magic into something that will benefit the youth of South Africa who will soon be entering the workforce and contributing to our economy. By investing in, and developing the youth of South Africa, MultiChoice is helping to shape the industries of the future.'' Mawela added.
