Although the mining industry has not appealed to many young people for quite a while, this is starting to change through initiatives such as the Young Leaders Career Development Programme, says nonprofit organisation Learn and Give Education Foundation (LGEF) cofounder and chairperson Teboho Maphakisa.

LGEF – an official partner of the 2019 Investing in African Mining Indaba’s Young Leaders Career Development Programme, which was held in Cape Town last month – was responsible for promoting and marketing the programme to prospective participants through online campaigns and print material.

“Participants included university students and recent graduates, not only in traditional mining career fields but across the whole value chain,” he says, adding that participation in this year’s programme had increased.

This year, the organisers of the Indaba also launched the Leaders of Tomorrow Competition, where young people were invited to submit innovative proposals in the fields of safety, water, exploration and mineral recovery. This strategy also roused significant interest from young people, says Maphakisa.

“It is not every day that you get direct access to the C-Level executives, entrepreneurs and human resource practitioners from various companies all in one room. As an organisation, we always try to establish partnerships for the benefit of the youth in our country, particularly the previously marginalised.”

Young Leaders Career Development Programme

Moreover, Maphakisa – a former participant of the programme – believes that the main benefit of attending the programme is the opportunity to listen to the industry captains and, most importantly, to build relationships. It is also a platform that affords the youth who are interested in a career in mining a chance to meet with and learn from a variety of other top executives representing some of the world’s most successful mining companies.

LGEF is grateful for having been entrusted with the responsibility of marketing and promoting the Young Leaders Programme. The organisation believes that future workplaces will need adaptable and flexible critical thinkers, and it is through such programmes that future industry captains are created.