Exposure programme to empower youth
The programme invites first and second-year tertiary students to visit TPT operations with the intention of exposing them to various disciplines available in a port environment.
Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) launched its flagship student exposure programme in KwaZulu-Natal recently, giving youth residing in South Africa’s port cities access to the world of operations, maritime logistics and the blue economy.
Titled AIM and scheduled over tertiary holidays, the programme invites first and second-year tertiary students to visit TPT operations with the intention of exposing them to various disciplines available in a port environment. This is to enable them to make informed career choices of professions available in the marine logistics sector.
For participating students, the programme is not a once-off opportunity as they will be expected to return for a few days during their tertiary holidays until they complete their area of study and graduate. The overall programme orientates the students on the entire integrated Transnet supply value chain across all divisions while they will also shadow business specialists in carrying out their duties. The approach is intended to assist students link theory with the practical environment while giving them a platform not only to innovate but to also realise their true potential.
“The AIM initiative is about collaborating with the youth in providing future-proof solutions while giving them value in return. This is a group of technologically savvy, modern-day, digitally – aware young people that will assist us to evolve with the times,” said TPT’s Acting General Manager for Human Resources, Brenda Magqwaka. Magqwaka added that it was important for young people in port cities to know all there is to know about where they come from and the type of jobs available locally.
Following their participation in the programme, the students said that their exposure to TPT’s operations was eye-opening and changed the way they viewed the business, something they could not have planned for or imagined. Because of the specialised and complex nature of the business, they suggested it would assist them spending more time as part of the exposure, say a week, as opposed to three days. True to being technologically savvy, they would like to see TPT set up a portal that would be a single point of application for students intending applying and completing their internship with TPT so that this process is seamless.
TPT has previously participated in several initiatives for both boys and girls but decided to amalgamate the concepts into an all-encompassing program that will pay specific attention to the emerging blue economy. The Eastern Cape and Western Cape regions are set to implement at the next run of tertiary holidays.
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