VWSA offers employment opportunities to youngsters

VWSA has teamed up with the government’s Youth Employment Service (YES) Programme for the second year to offer temporary work opportunities to 520 unemployed young people.

The latest edition of the 12month employment programme, which kicked off last week, has resulted in 141 candidates being placed at VWSA, another 194 at the VWSA dealership network and 185 taken in by the company’s SME host partners.

The candidates, who are paid a monthly stipend, are not guaranteed jobs at the end of the 12-month period, but will be equipped with skills that may enable them to obtain permanent employment.

Of the 141 youngsters working directly for VWSA, 123 will be placed at the plant in Uitenhage,

10 at the group’s National Sales Organisation in Sandton, while eight will join its warehouse facility in Centurion.

Launched in 2018 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the YES programme enables young people without formal qualifications to gain work experience with the aim of improving their chances of gaining longterm employment.

VWSA MD Thomas Schaefer said the company hoped that its involvement in the programme would empower young people to realise their potential and gain quality employment.

“VW remains committed to economic transformation initiatives, and we believe programmes like the YES initiative have a crucial part to play in alleviating the youth unemployment crisis in our country,” Schaefer said.