Transnet has placed youth employment front and centre of its development plans and has urged institutions of higher learning to tweak curricula in line with changing workplace practices and the digital era.
Incoming general manager of people management at Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), Caroline Mayeza, has been in discussion with universities in port cities to ensure the company’s expansion plans and projected growth result in greater absorption of competent youth.
“TPT is one of Transnet’s five operating divisions, and in the 2020/2021 financial year that ended in March, youth spend at TPT alone totalled R35.1 million. The technical discipline had an enrolment of 138 apprentices, engineers, and technicians in training. Non-technical programmes saw an enrolment of 86 youth in the form of learnerships, experiential learning and young professionals in training across a range of functional units, from safety, health and wellness to finance and supply chain management.
According to Mayeza, succession planning is critical to the business and annually there are dedicated programmes to ensure the development of youth employees.
More than 16 were enrolled in accelerated development and structured leadership programmes last year.
TPT also awarded 172 bursaries to youth employees in the same period, resulting in 47% of all bursaries being awarded to youth.
