LEARNERSHIPS GIVE MATRICS SKILLS FOR BUSINESS WORLD

Sorry folks there was no post yesterday, due to computer fall down!

Well done Old Mutual - and well done to the unemployed matriculants for getting it done!

Where there is a will there is a way and it is all about looking for and finding the opportunities! They are all around us in great abundance!

Learnerships give matrics skills for business world
29 June 2007 at 11h00

More than 50 unemployed matriculants from disadvantaged backgrounds in the Western Cape recently graduated with qualifications in the financial services industry, during the third phase of a learnership programme launched by Old Mutual Business School. More than 100 learners in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng also graduated. "The third learnership programme was a success not only because the learners have developed skills and experience to help them become employed, but also because over 80 percent of them have been employed by Old Mutual in the Western Cape alone," says Maxwell Kubheka, the company's learnership manager. He says this was due to the exceptional quality and capabilities of the learners, who were committed to their own growth and development. "The high employment rate can also be attributed to Old Mutual's managers and mentors who were passionate about developing young, black talent, and to the well-structured and good training material provided by INTEC." Old Mutual aims to employ as many of the learners as possible, he says. "For those who are not placed within the company, Old Mutual funds an open day, where personnel agencies coach learners on writing up their CVs and assist them with applying for jobs."

Learners employed at Old Mutual will fulfil positions in the client service, employee benefits, healthcare, group schemes, marketing and HR departments, he says. During the learnership programme, students spend 11 months in training, with 30 percent of that time spent in the classroom and the remainder getting practical experience in the business." The practical component together with the qualification provides an excellent opportunity for the students to become employed, as most companies require both when looking at hiring an individual," says Nikki Wouterse, CEO of ICG Learning Solutions, the training provider that partnered with Old Mutual in all three regions.

The graduates successfully completed Financial Services Administration NQF3 and Wealth Management NQF4. Subjects covered included communication, mathematics, financial literacy, computer literacy, managing risk, understanding the financial services industry and the impact of legislation, Wouterse says.The learnership programme, launched in 2005, aims to educate 685 students by 2008. The selection criteria are based on the Financial Sector Charter guidelines and are restricted to unemployed matriculants from disadvantaged backgrounds. Candidates are also required to have passed maths or accounting. The fourth intake of learners will be launched nationally in July.