Due to a shortage of skills and the high youth unemployment rate in South Africa, many tertiary graduates struggle to find employment opportunities. To address this issue, The Dynaste Communication Firm (The DCF) has established a work readiness programme aimed at assisting final-year PR and Journalism or Copywriting students in gaining employment skills and experience in their fields of study. By Mkhuseli Vangile.
“There is an increasing gap between final year students and the world of work that requires more intervention to better prepare the students. As a result, The DCF recognises that work readiness programmes alone will not solve youth unemployment, but they can facilitate processes that connect students to employment opportunities,” says Managing Director of The Dynaste Communication Firm, Mkhuseli Vangile.
According to Stats SA, South Africa’s youth unemployment rate is staggering at 34.9%, due to the lack of skills necessary for entry and advancement in the labour market. Thus, The DCF is dedicated to equipping students with the necessary skills to succeed in the workplace.
Furthermore, the integrated marketing communication agency has adopted Izanokhanyo Community Based Project as the NGO that is most suitable for the philanthropic activities that will provide the students with the skills they will need after school.
In addition to that, The DCF will provide Public Relations and marketing services to create awareness about Izanokhanyo, in order to achieve its goals and objectives. A donation of R2000.00 per month will also be made through initiatives to enable the centre to generate income for itself. There will be a lot of fundraising activities to help the centre get donors and investors
Here are four ways that work readiness programmes can be beneficial to students:
· Introduction to the work environment
Work preparedness programmes expose final year students to a work environment before they enter the world of work, which is full of responsibilities. This helps individuals become more self-reliant and capable of overcoming obstacles at work.
· Introducing students to new technology
With the majority of employers requiring a certain level of computer proficiency, work-readiness programmes aid in honing those skills. They specialise in training candidates on how to use Microsoft Office Suite. Furthermore, since many companies have adapted to remote work, students learn how to use common modern communication technology through these programmes.
· Enhancing professional communication skills to students
To earn and keep a job, you must have excellent communication skills. Students learn how to effectively communicate their thoughts and viewpoints in order to build successful business connections. Communication abilities are required for advancement into management. Students must be able to communicate in writing, give presentations to their teams, write coherent emails, and collaborate with their teams on projects. Students learn interpersonal communication skills as well as technical skills such as programs and other apps through work readiness programmes.
· Employment guardianship
Through readiness programmes, students are also taught how to retain a job once they have one, this includes building a solid work ethic. The programmes also provide students with a number of opportunities to develop skills.
“Students learn problem-solving skills through simulations within the work readiness programmes. Such initiatives also teach students how to contribute to company productivity,” concludes Vangile.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of The Daily Vox.
