Econo Foods is giving 105 opportunities to unemployed youth. This as the company is kicking off and offering the biggest learnership project in the Free State with the project that commenced on 1 August 2021.
According to the group’s HR, Pieter Wiid, Econo Foods took the initiative in 2020 to launch a learnership project for 53 learners with SA Campus and W&R Seta. “We are proud to say that we have employed 43 of those 53 learners. This will be our third intake of youth learners and currently we have a team of 15 learners who have completed their theory and are currently gaining practical work experience.” He explained that they are blessed to be in a position to invest in the unemployed youth by granting them educational and practical work experience.
According to one of the graduates from the EconoFoods learnership from last year, Kenon Bergman, he is forever grateful the investment that EconoFoods made into his future. He says that they have provided him with an opportunity that is immeasurable. Bergman finds himself with a permanent job in the HR department at Econofoods head office in Bloemfontein. “I am also assisting with the current learnership that is taking place and this is also a stepping stone for me.”
Wiid also told Bloemfontein Courant that the purpose of the learnership programme is to assist the youth in getting ready for the labour market.
“We teach them different types of skills in the workplace, from how retail, wholesale, dispatch and receiving work, to all facets within the different divisions.” SA Campus then educates the learners regarding the theoretical side of business, such as generic management, leadership in the workplace, the role and functions of being a supervisor, how to handle conflict in the workplace and numeracy and computer literacy.
Sazly Hartzenberg
