Training provider develops powerful absorption model to provide life changing opportunities
Learnerships are recognised as one of the key vehicles to create work-ready skills for South Africa’s unemployed youth but EduPower Skills Academy is taking this a step further. The training provider is creating permanent job opportunities for its learners and during March, it could offer full time employment to 20 of its graduates.
EduPower piloted the model last year and during 2020, it absorbed three of its graduate learners. This proved so successful that it has resulted in the recent, much larger intake.
“By 2022, we intend creating job opportunities for more than 100 learners and we will continue to grow this number in subsequent years. The fact that more than half of these individuals are people with disabilities further confirms the strength of the model in creating life-changing employment opportunities,” Rajan adds.
Rajan says that the Academy’s model is based on the philosophy and value system of training with a purpose – training is a means to an end goal and not the goal itself.
This is partly due to the fact that businesses are reluctant to offer graduates their first job as they lack work history and references. In addition, few companies can fund the net loss that a graduate incurs in the first 12 months relative to their remuneration as they become job ready.
“EduPower’s model is designed to produce job ready graduates who we are confident in offering jobs,” says Rajan. “Certification of graduates is important but to really shift the future for these individuals, they need employment opportunities where they can apply the knowledge they have acquired,” Rajan adds. “By creating jobs where these individuals can thrive, they can start generating sustained economic activity and become valued members of our core middle income group, the foundation upon which our developing nation rests.”