Trainers of the Guarantee Trust in Polokwane recently celebrated 60 students’ graduation from their Bonani Work Readiness Programme.
The aim of the Work Readiness Programmes is to prepare graduates for the job market after Guarantee Trust Managing Director, Kevin Wakely-Smith realised that South African universities and other tertiary institutions were giving students an academic education without adequately preparing them for the job market.
The Work Readiness Programmes includes courses on practical matters like communication skills, correct workplace attire and etiquette and other practical issues. They also have an intern job placement programme to help the students find their fee in the workplace.
The participants must have at least a National Diploma or BCom Accounting degree to be accepted into the programme.
During the graduation ceremony, Keynote Speaker Mampe Gololo spoke about her own journey in the accounting industry before she reached the heights that she had as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Great North Transport.
She explained how she grew up in a poor rural area and obtained her degree from the University of Limpopo, where after she had trouble finding an accountancy firm where she could do her articles.
“I knew I had to make a plan if I ever wanted to get ahead and that is why I grabbed an opportunity to work in the Auditor General’s office in Kimberley with both hands. Once in Kimberley, I spoke to a manager and told him that I wanted to complete my articles. He helped me find a placing with an audit firm in Kimberley where I could achieve my goals,” she said.
“Never move your goal posts, only move the route to those goal posts if you see your current approach is not working. But never ever move the goal posts and give up on your dream.”
She also told the students to make themselves useful. “When I found myself with time on my hands, I didn’t surf the internet or play games. Instead I went to senior personnel and asked how I could help them. I went from stacking boxes to filing and ultimately helping with important tasks because I never sat around doing nothing. I always took on extra work, showing my willingness and abilities.”
Student representatives Thendo Makhala, Patricia Mokwele and Thulani Chauke spoke about their experience with Guarantee Trust and agreed that they were at first taken aback by some of the modules like communication and workplace attire, but later came to realise how much these modules helped to prepare them for the workplace.
Story & Photos by MARKI FRANKEN: These 60 students graduated from the Bonani Work Readiness Programme at the Guarantee Trust recently.
