Local mobile powerhouse, MTN, has invested R15 million, over two years, in two programmes intended to boost skills development in the telecommunications sector.
“If companies such as MTN expect to increase productivity, growth and innovation and improve the economy of our country, we need to invest in human intellectual capital and develop sustainable long-term people strategies and solutions. MTN is doing just that,” says Tim Lowry, MD of MTN SA.
He says like many companies across the economy, MTN is faced with a shortage of high-end skills, particularly in finance, information systems, engineering and logistics.
“By initiating these two programmes, MTN is demonstrating its commitment to investing in the future of our youth, with sustainable job creation and a pipeline of talented skills coming into the industry for the betterment of SA and the African continent as a whole,” he says.
MTN says that, despite the global economic downturn, and at a time when many companies are cutting back on hiring staff, this sector is on a growth-path and faces a critical skills shortage in specific areas.
The idea
Themba Nyathi, executive for HR at MTN, explains how the two programmes work.
To qualify for the graduate development programme, “previously-disadvantaged students need to demonstrate a high academic achievement in their studies in the areas that address the critical and scarce skills in the industry sector”.
Nyathi says 83 graduates from the fields of engineering, finance, logistics and IT will participate in a stringent selection process. “The selected candidates will complete a compulsory training programme in their area of specialisation, and will then follow a two-year programme under the guidance of mentors and coaches.”
According to MTN, those students who complete the programme will be offered a permanent position at the company. They will also be offered additional specialist technical and management training.
The bursary programme will target 32 high school leavers who are entering a tertiary institution to further their studies in the fields of engineering and finance. “The students will be offered financial assistance towards their studies and will be afforded experiential learning opportunities at MTN during their vacations,” explains Nyathi.
Once those students have completed a degree, they will be integrated into the graduate programme. “It is time for corporate SA to stand up and demonstrate its willingness to develop our youth through practical and tangible initiatives,” concludes Nyathi.
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