New Bridging Workshops Equip Graduates with the Skills Needed to Thrive Professionally
During the month of May, IYF led the first of a series of comprehensive Workplace Readiness Workshops that address behavioral skills in the workplace to capacitate TVET students with the necessary skills to earn a livelihood and grow as engaged citizens. IYF South Africa’s three key programs all support the belief that success in life is secured by learning skills that will endure.
The High Gear programme is a transformative initiative aimed at empowering South African youth and revolutionizing the country’s technical education system in the automotive and engineering industry. High Gear draws on industry knowledge and skills imperatives—along with IYF curricula enhancement tools—to strengthen the market relevance of select public TVET college courses. Ultimately, High Gear aims to demonstrate a model for greater industry involvement in TVET course design and delivery that generates enthusiasm from TVET educators and industry, while also generating positive returns for young people and employers. The High Gear programme is funded by The UK Government’s Skills for Prosperity Programme, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF).
The Skills for Success programmme funded by Google.org, equips youth in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa with digital skill sets that are in high demand. This is achieved through enrolling students in the Google Career Certificates and upon completion they will receive an Industry qualification. This program is uniquely positioned to address the IT and digital literacy skills gap globally.
The Skills for Life programme is funded by De Beers Group with the objective of equipping the youth with the skills needed for improved academics, employability, and workforce success with particular focus on the TVET college system. This objective is achieved through capacitating lecturers and empowering students through the integration of IYF’s flagship work-readiness and life-skills learning program, Passport to Success® (PTS) as well as the Effective Teaching pedagogy, with the current Life Skills and technical TVET curricula.
While students have responded well to the interventions of IYF’s existing programs, IYF, and its partners believe in connecting young people with opportunities to transform their lives. To this end, IYF implemented an agile response to the latest market trends which highlighted the need for youth to receive exposure to training that addresses behavioral skills in the workplace. IYF introduced a series of workshops to prepare graduates for the working world, and achieve the ultimate objective of economic emancipation, by equipping them with vitally important behavioral skills. The inaugural workshop was implemented with the aim to support students from South West College in Gauteng by sharing valuable knowledge on personal development, employability and entrepreneurial development skills. Going forward, monthly online workshops will be hosted, each focusing on different elements relating to employability and entrepreneurship.
Before entering the world of employment or business, jobseekers can often find themselves overwhelmed by the need to differentiate themselves from potential competitors. The Workplace Readiness Workshop series aims to address these concerns by providing comprehensive guidance on elements such as crafting a compelling CV, tailoring professional and personal experiences to the specifics of each application and mastering interviews with effective communication styles, and preparing for common interview questions. As we enter the fourth industrial revolution, it is imperative to ensure that our youth can effectively leverage their digital platforms for personal branding, networking, and business growth.
Further to this comprehensive expansion of the basic steps toward employment, the workshops also deliver practical training on financial literacy, budgeting, investing, saving and debt management. By providing the essential skills of financial planning, students will be better equipped for unpredictable job markets, as well as create their personal financial freedom.
IYF’s goal is to equip students with essential behavioral skills that will empower TVET students to thrive in the modern workforce. Students will learn how to create effective resumes and profiles, ensuring that TVET college students showcase their skills, qualifications, and experiences compellingly to increase their chances on successful job searches. Through activities and exercises, students will learn to analyze problems, evaluate information, and make well-reasoned decisions. These skills empower students to become adaptable problem-solvers and valuable contributors in any professional setting.
These workshops are also designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to kick-start their own small businesses and navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship, supporting them in transforming ideas to successful ventures. Students will gain fresh perspectives, practical tools, and inspiring insights to embark on a purposeful and fulfilling journey as they enter the world of work.
Today’s jobseekers find themselves in a competitive environment that values emotional maturity, streamlined communication, teamwork and effective problem-solving, no matter what the technical foundation of the job may be. Employers are not merely looking for skillset, they are looking for a well-rounded and informed individual who is able to grow business and efficiency through critical thinking and effective communication between peers and management. This series enhances IYF’s current programmatic deliverables to provide TVET students with an advantage. The Workplace Readiness Workshops will provide integral, interconnected comprehensive behavioral skills that all work together to enhance employability amongst TVET college students. The inaugural workshop successfully incorporated facilitation and guidance in these key areas.
IYF aims to cultivate a skilled and innovative workforce that will contribute to South Africa’s economic growth and prosperity. Through interactive workshops, students learn to communicate their unique value proposition, showcase their entrepreneurial ideas, and leave a lasting impression on decision-makers.
IYF’s goal has always been to close the gap between industry and education through systemic capacitation and learner support. The Workplace Readiness Workshops are an added intervention to facilitate sustainable opportunities for students and graduates, opening doors of opportunity for a brighter and more enterprising future.
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Background
IYF® stands by, for, and with young people. Founded in 1990 through a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, IYF is a global non-profit with programs directly benefiting 7.7 million young people and operations spanning one hundred countries so far.
Together with local community-based organisations and a network of corporate, foundation, and multilateral partners, we connect young people with opportunities to transform their lives. We believe that educated, employed, engaged young people possess the power to solve the world’s toughest problems, and we focus our youth development efforts on three linked objectives: unlocking agency, driving economic opportunity, and making systems more inclusive. Our vision is to see young people inspired and equipped to realise the future they want.
IYF Transforming Lives, Together.
