An innovative partnership between the Youth Employment Service (Yes) in Rosebank and Nedbank has created work opportunities for youth. More than 7 000 South African youth have benefited from the partnership over the past three years.
One of the biggest winners as a result of this partnership has been the environment, with thousands of young people getting critical work experience in the conservation sector.
The Yes programme sees corporate partners like Nedbank create and sponsor thousands of quality work experience opportunities each year in various high-impact sectors like conservation, healthcare, education, digital, early-childhood development and more.
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Many of Nedbank’s 7 080 Yes candidates were placed in the bank’s business units, and with one of 33 Yes implementation partners across South Africa. In line with Nedbank’s green economy programme, some candidates were placed with the bank’s conservation partners.
Here, they gained critical skills in areas like land restoration, ecotourism, disaster management, education and even running food gardens.
“This commitment is especially relevant in line with our purpose of using our financial expertise to do good for individuals, families, businesses, and society.
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This purpose stems from Nedbank’s understanding that it, alongside its stakeholders, operate in an interdependent system, where a thriving economy, a well-functioning society, and a healthy environment are needed.
Reducing youth unemployment in our country is central to this,” said Deborah Fuller, Nedbank Group executive for human resources.
More than two thirds of the work opportunities created through the Nedbank-Yes partnership have been taken up by women, with placements in provinces where the unemployment rate is higher than the official national average. The salaries these young people receive are critical in uplifting the economies of communities across the country.
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Traver Chabangu, a Yes alumni of the Nedbank programme, is now a field ranger at The Kruger National Park. “I am very grateful for this opportunity. I am learning new skills every day, but most importantly, I have a job and a better future to look forward to.”
Yes CEO Ravi Naidoo said Nedbank understood that the Yes programme produces measurable outcomes and so it was able to integrate the Yes youth job creation into its environmental, social and governance and Sustainable Development Goal strategies.
“Partnering with Yes is more than just youth job creation and gaining a level up on a B-BBEE scorecard. It’s about creating South Africa’s future business leaders by providing the quality work experiences they need to get their first job or start their own business. That’s the impact we’re ultimately aiming for,” said Naidoo.
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