ISUZU Motors South Africa (IMSAf) recently welcomed the next group of Youth Employment Service (YES) candidates.
The YES programme, which was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018, with the aim at affording young South Africans paid work experience, has offered many young individuals the opportunity to increase their employability.
This year, Isuzu placed 42 candidates in various departments across the company and its subsidiaries.
Wayne Osborne, Isuzu Motors South Africa senior manager of training and organisational development, said the company was fully committed to the growth and development of young South Africans.
He said that, despite challenging conditions and COVID-19 restrictions, last year’s group performed very well.
“About 10% of last year’s candidates were successful in their respective external job applications, while Isuzu will retain about 21% of them, primarily in our production operations.
“This year, we have once again recruited talented individuals, several of them with a tertiary qualification, but with no work experience. And again, we partnered with Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator in terms of recruitment and job readiness training.
“We also involved ENGELI Enterprise Development in the skilling of the candidates, prior to them starting at the company. We believe that this programme provides an opportunity to gain skills, learn workplace discipline and to grow and develop on a personal level,” said Osborne.
According to Stats SA in 2020, the youth unemployment rate in South Africa was at 55.75%. Those aged 15-24 were the most vulnerable in the labour market.
