These past few weeks have tested South Africans like never before. We’ve dealt with a third wave crippling our already-overburdened healthcare system; ongoing load shedding catapulting our country into darkness; the closure of certain sectors as a result of the return to level 4 lockdown – and just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse, a flare-up of blazing riots which have raged across South Africa’s Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
Yet with Mandela Day taking place yesterday, we are once again reminded that despite these dark times, each individual has the power to transform the world, and the ability to make an impact, says Nkosinathi Mahlangu, Portfolio Head for Youth Employment at Momentum Metropolitan. “Sometimes, we just need to leverage the power of the collective – our communities and networks – to help get us there,” he says.
With this in mind, Momentum Metropolitan has engaged both its staff volunteer programme and non-profit organisation (NPO) network to collaboratively host a free, four-day Virtual Career Expo on 27 and 29 July, and 3 and 4 August, which is aimed at school-leavers from disadvantaged communities, but open to all young South Africans. The expo aims to introduce youth to a broad spectrum of career options and opportunities, while imparting valuable knowledge and practical skills that will assist them on their path to employment.
Mahlangu explains that with youth unemployment currently skyrocketing as a result of the pandemic, the financial services group was determined to forge ahead with its plans to host a career day expo, in line with its mandate to uplift the country’s youth and empower them on their journey to success.“While COVID-19 is currently challenging our on-the-ground CSI activities, says Mahlangu, Momentum Metropolitan’s staff volunteers have shown resilience.
“We realised that we have access to an incredible pool of talent within our group – our staff contingent is made up of experienced marketers, highly skilled developers, financial experts, human resource professionals and more. Through a virtual platform, we are able to share their expertise and guidance with others, while increasing access to a broader audience, thanks to technology.”
The four-day expo is grouped according to four key themes, with each theme covering a number of relevant topics, which are imparted by a Momentum Metropolitan employee and expert in that specific area.
Day one, titled a ‘Job Hunter’s Guide’, is aimed at equipping school leavers with the basics as they prepare to enter the working world, and topics include ‘How to compile a CV’, ‘How to give a successful job interview’, ‘Personal presentation’ and ‘Job-searching tools’.
The second day is dedicated to ‘Opportunities’, giving an overview of the Further Education and Development (FET) field, as well as skills training within the non-profit organisation (NPO) realm.
The third day of the programme is focussed on the digital world, with sessions on social media etiquette, coding and opportunities within the field, while day four covers ‘Business Management’ for aspiring entrepreneurs, with topics such as ‘Entrepreneurship 101’, ‘Financial management’ and ‘Skills development’.
“While the events of the past weeks have been disheartening, we urge our young people not to lose hope, says Mahlangu.
“Through showing our youth the career opportunities available to them while imparting valuable knowledge and skills based on real-life experience, we hope to expand their horizons encourage and inspire them to reimagine their futures. Together we can.”
To register for Momentum Metropolitan’s Virtual Career Expo, please click here. Attendees are able to attend the full four-day programme, or only the sessions that spark their interest
