Witkoppen Clinic Yes4Youth programme participants ready for workplace
FOURWAYS – Yes4Youth has set itself a goal of creating thousands of work experiences for young people by the year 2025.
Executive director at Witkoppen Clinic Dr Jean Basset urged recent graduates to continue learning in order to realise their dreams.
The group of 30 graduates were part of a one-year Yes4Youth learnership programme at the clinic. Speaking during the graduation ceremony at the clinic on August 16, Basset said the skills and experience that young people received during the programme was a vital first step toward their dream jobs.
“It is sad to see you going, but I am also grateful knowing that you will be great assets wherever you go. You must continue to learn and work hard to realise your dreams. Use all the skills and experiences you have acquired to become better professionals,” Basset said.
Implementation partner manager at Yes4Youth non-profit organisation Victoria John said her organisation has set itself a goal of creating thousands of work experiences for young people by the year 2025.
“Our organisation is fully focused on collaborating with businesses to create quality work experiences for the youth. Our goal is to create 500 000 work experiences by 2025. We aim to equip the youth with the necessary skills for them to be ready for the workplace and employable.
“We have 60 young people from Diepsloot and other parts of Region A placed in Witkoppen Clinic. This is the first group and the second group will graduate in January next year.”
One of the graduates, Fiona Mogano from Diepsloot, said the programme has helped her shape her future after countless rejections to study at some universities. “The programme has been very helpful to me. It came at a time when I was thinking of giving up in life because I had been rejected by the university I wanted to study at.
“When I heard about the programme, I decided to grab the opportunity with both hands. I trained and worked as a receptionist at the clinic and learnt a lot during the period I was placed there.”
Mogano said she has already applied and was accepted to study secretarial studies at a college next year.
