A proud YES member, Epiroc says YES to the youth and future of South Africa

After completing their studies many young graduates in South Africa are eager to begin their careers. However in today’s tough economic environment and high employment figures, a large number of these graduates face tremendous challenges around securing a job. Epiroc’s passion to contribute to skills development and job creation amongst the South African youth urged the company to participate in the government’s Youth Employment Services (YES) Programme.

YES recognises the critical role the youth plays in shaping both the country and the economy. YES is a not-for-profit organisation that provides for and institutes Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE). The objective of this business-led collaboration with government and labor is to create one million work opportunities for the youth.

Meeting all the criteria required to present the YES programme, Epiroc’s R2.9 million investment in the

2019 YES internship programme provides thirty unemployed youth and graduates with invaluable work experience. “We believe that it is easier for youth to find permanent employment when they have incurred 12 months’ work experience,” states Kathryn Coetzer, Regional Communications Manager at Epiroc South Africa. “We are proud to be part of this inspirational internship programme that provides interns with an ideal platform to gain hands-on experience in the workplace as well as to further develop their skillsets.”

The YES internship is smartly structured so that interns will be able to gain both practical and theoretical knowledge, depending on their allocated roles in the Epiroc divisions. “We have identified roles within the organisation where we are short of hands and the interns will take on these responsibilities over the 12 month period. They’ll effectively assume these job titles for the year and be held accountable as well as responsible for the tasks/activities defined in the job descriptions of these roles,” explains Coetzer. She continues that the interns can also be placed within the organisation’s key suppliers, customers, and Epiroc partners. Coetzer points out that the selected 2019 YES interns will not only learn about the business world but, importantly, will also earn a stipend.

“We encourage this year’s YES programme interns to make the most of this opportunity and learn as much as they can about the working world. Epiroc looks forward to working with these eager individuals and we are confident that not only will we provide them with the perfect starting block to kick off their careers, but that they in turn will provide us with valuable input so that we remain the preferred mining partner,” concludes Coetzer.

Meet the future of South Africa!

Epiroc Local 2019 South Africa News All corporate press releases

Epiroc's 2019 YES Programme candidates