Peermont CSI Awards recognise local business and students
A number of local people received awards at the Peermont CSI Awards.
Leading hospitality group, Peermont Hotels, Casinos and Resorts, hosted an awards ceremony celebrating the contributions of all those involved in making its various CSI projects a success over the last year.
The ceremony took the form of an exquisite dinner at Emperors Palace, last Friday.
“The CSI Awards celebrate the important contributions of our people, who play a major role in the success of the many upliftment projects sponsored by Peermont,” said Vusi Zwane, trustee of the Peermont Community Benefit Trust.
“Every Peermont unit nationwide supports a CSI initiative, and this event highlights the fantastic work being done to create sustainable development for the community.”
Peermont’s CSI initiatives contribute millions of Rands to the communities surrounding its business units each year.
In 2016 alone, Peermont invested R42-million towards the growth and development of local communities across its properties.
The Peermont Children’s Trust, for example, is an after-school care programme that assists over 600 children across seven centres throughout Ekurhuleni.
Beneficiaries receive nutritious meals, and space to do their homework in a safe environment, all supervised by professional care-givers.
Peermont further sponsors 260 learners at three Star School sites each year to help increase student pass rates for these crucial subjects.
The learners are provided with extra lessons in mathematics, English and physical science, and are in turn invited to apply for a bursary through the Peermont Education Trust.
To date, the trust has celebrated 117 graduates in various fields of study, including commerce, engineering, medical technology and physics.
Peermont also opened its very own hotel school at Emperors Palace, last year, aimed at upskilling young people in the Ekurhuleni area, where learners are taught theory and practical skills to pursue careers in the hospitality and tourism sectors – two of the highest-growing economic sectors in South Africa.
Over 1 000 learners are expected to enrol at the school in the next three years.
One of the first learners to graduate from the school, Zimkhitha James, was one of the Peermont CSI Awards winners with the Palm Ridge resident being named Peermont Hotel School (PHS) Learner Top Housekeeper.
“Providing disadvantaged children and youth with educational tools and access to quality education remains vitally important to us,” said Zwane.
“Our programmes have a natural progression and we have instituted a pipeline that starts with the school years and continues until the youth become economically active, either through full-time employment or by starting their own enterprise.”
To assist with the latter the trust instituted the Lesedi Programme 12 years ago to address, not only the shortage of tradesmen in the area, but also help the youth of Ekurhuleni gain theory and practical training and qualifications as electricians, welders, fitter-and-turners and in various hospitality fields.
At the awards ceremony four Lesedi electrical learners who have qualified at NQF Level Four were recognised for their achievements with one of these learners Moiponi Tsotesti hailing from Buhle Park.
Peermont sponsors full bursaries for deserving matriculants from Ekurhuleni, offering a mentorship programme and holistic support throughout the student’s tertiary years, with a graduation rate of 85 per cent.
Along with deserving Peermont employees, four graduates were also recognised at the CSI Awards, including Palesa Khanye of Katlehong who obtained her BSC health sciences degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Apart from education Peermont, through the Ekurhuleni Peermont Chambers of Commerce Trust (EPCoCT), also offers funding to small businesses in Ekurhuleni to enable them to reach the next level of growth, become sustainable and create more job opportunities.
Among the enterprises assisted by the EPCoCT in the 2016 financial year was Germiston steel fabricator, Sekunjalo Metal Systems (Pty) Ltd, which was established in 2003 by Phillip and Mpho Mnisi.
With the R134 695 grant received from the trust, to augment funding obtained from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) to purchase machinery and technology to produce spiral tubes the company has enhanced its extraction system manufacturing capabilities and gone from strength to strength.
It’s innovative business model, professionalism and high standards earned Sekunjalo the Top SMME award at the Peermont CSI Awards.
For more information on the Peermont Group and Peermont-sponsored CSI projects, visit www.peermont.com.
Also Read: Peermont community projects: CSI awards the local communities
