NEDBANK WELCOMES 3000 UNEMPLOYED YOUTH TO THE JOB MARKET, AS THE 2023 YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SERVICE PROGRAMME COMMENCES

JOHANNESBURG, 1 August 2023 – Over 2,800 unemployed young people entered the world of work as Nedbank inducted its 2023 cohort into the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme at the bank. The launch brings the number of work experience opportunities created by Nedbank since 2019 to almost 10,000.

“Each of the 2,818 young people who join the 2023 Nedbank YES programme this morning will access the very best on-the-job training, development and mentorship available. This is an opportunity to hone their skills and gain valuable work experience,” said Deb Fuller, Group Executive for Human Resources at Nedbank.

This year’s cohort has been assigned to roles both in Nedbank and our implementation partners. They will obtain experience in the jobs of the future, including working in renewable energy (solar installation), wildlife conservation, agriculture and education, as well as in corporate roles within the bank itself.

“Given technological advancements and South Africa’s pressing need for people skilled in renewable energy, agro-processing, and other high-growth sectors, we are pleased to place our YES-youths with partners working in strategic focus areas for us,” added Fuller. “These implementation partners support both the country’s priorities as well as Nedbank’s strategic focus areas, helping us to reach sustainability targets and meet the needs brought about by digital disruption and changes to the world of work.”

The YES initiative resonates with Nedbank’s purpose, which is to use our financial expertise to do good for individuals, families, businesses and society, and provides the perfect platform to do our bit to reduce devastatingly highlevels of youth unemployment, Fuller adds. This year’s implementation partners include Afrika Tikkun, the Africa Foundation, GWK, KP Cares and WILDTRUST, and are based in Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Northwest and Mpumalanga.

Nedbank is the largest YES-participant in the financial services sector, having created over 7000 work experience opportunities before this year’s intake. YES-youths not only receive work experience, but are provided with hard skills, and supported with mentoring to obtain the ‘soft’ skills that equip them to thrive once the year is over. Nedbank’s YES programme is also exceptional for its absorption rate, with over 1,140 YES-youths having been absorbed by Nedbank and partner organisations since 2019.

“We continue to see great value in the YES-programme’s ability to uncover extraordinary young talent, with many of this young talent finding roles on Nedbank’s permanent payroll after completing their YES learnership,” she said.

More than two-thirds of the work opportunities created through the Nedbank-YES partnership have been taken up by women and several were placed in provinces where the unemployment rate is higher than the official national average of 33,9%, including Mpumalanga (where unemployment sits at 36,1%), Limpopo (36,3%) and the Eastern Cape (42,8%).

“Through our programme, our youth not only obtain skills and job experience, but we also uplift the communities and households from which they come, with a massive multiplier effect.”

YES Chief Executive Officer Ravi Naidoo commended Nedbank saying YES was excited to continue its long-standing partnership with Nedbank and to see the youth in this programme flourish and create a better tomorrow, today. Adds Naidoo, “The Youth Employment Service (YES) is the highest impact private sector youth employment programme in South Africa, working with over 1,500 businesses to tackle the country’s youth unemployment crisis.

“Nedbank, as one of pioneering partners of the programme, has been with us from the start, empowering young people to become future leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs – the game-changers of tomorrow. Through partnership with businesses like Nedbank, that are integrating YES into their ESG agenda by placing youth in roles ranging from IT, HR and Marketing to waste management, solar PV installation and eco-tourism, an economic ripple effect is triggered, which helps reignite communities and our economy.

The Youth Employment Service (YES), South Africa’s largest private sector jobs creation initiative, held its inaugural ESG Awards, at the ESG Africa Conference on 4 October 2023. The awards recognise social impact through job creation by private companies.

These companies have made a significant contribution to the ‘S’ in ESG through job creation, fostering economic growth, and driving social development. By partnering with YES, their social impact is helping to empower a whole generation to become the architects of their own success stories and agents of change in our society.

Signed certificates by President Cyril Ramaphosa were presented to The Top 10 YES jobs contributors: Nedbank Limited, Shoprite Checkers, Toyota, Anglo American Platinum Ltd, Foschini Retail Group, Ford, Investec, Bidvest Protea Coin, Volkswagen, and BMW.

Special awards were also presented to Famous Brand, Pizza Hut and Microsoft for sector contributions.

Presenting the awards YES CEO Ravi Naidoo said that, providing youth with quality work experience is the most critical endowment that business leaders can make towards building a sustainable and inclusive economic future for South Africa. If more corporates include initiatives like YES in their ESG strategies a broader socio-economic change can be made.

ESG AWARDS: PRIVATE COMPANIES AWARDED FOR JOB CREATION

The Youth Employment Service (YES), South Africa’s largest private sector jobs creation initiative, held its inaugural ESG Awards, at the ESG Africa Conference on 4 October 2023. The awards recognise social impact through job creation by private companies.

These companies have made a significant contribution to the ‘S’ in ESG through job creation, fostering economic growth, and driving social development. By partnering with YES, their social impact is helping to empower a whole generation to become the architects of their own success stories and agents of change in our society.

Signed certificates by President Cyril Ramaphosa were presented to The Top 10 YES jobs contributors: Nedbank Limited, Shoprite Checkers, Toyota, Anglo American Platinum Ltd, Foschini Retail Group, Ford, Investec, Bidvest Protea Coin, Volkswagen, and BMW.

Special awards were also presented to Famous Brand, Pizza Hut and Microsoft for sector contributions.

Presenting the awards YES CEO Ravi Naidoo said that, providing youth with quality work experience is the most critical endowment that business leaders can make towards building a sustainable and inclusive economic future for South Africa. If more corporates include initiatives like YES in their ESG strategies a broader socioeconomic change can be