Multotec is pleased to announce that its recent group of learners has successfully completed the company’s 12-month learnership programme, underscoring its commitment to skills development, continued development, and job creation.

According to Janine James, Organisational Development and Learning Manager at Multotec, a total of 46 learners, including nine females, have proudly graduated at the beginning of June 2023. These individuals had successfully completed Multotec's comprehensive range of programmes, namely Production Technology, Supervisory, Polymer Compound Manufacturing, and Stores and Warehousing.

James explains that the annual learnership programme is deeply rooted in the company's dedication to skills and development. The primary objective of the programme is to equip participating learners with qualifications and foster their ongoing growth and development.

“The learnership is designed to provide growth and skills development opportunities to our current employees, including staff who previously did not have access to any further education. The learnership helps them to obtain a qualification that matches their line of work experience,” she says.

“It is also aimed at previously unemployed learners – individuals who are unemployed at the start of the programme. Bringing them into the learnership programme gives them skills and makes them more marketable. This also creates a pool of potential employees for Multotec.”

Uplifting skills in South Africa

James highlights that the Multotec learnership programme also plays a key role in the upliftment of skills in South Africa, not only to benefit Multotec, but the sector as a whole. While the company tries to place previously unemployed learners within its operations, those that cannot be absorbed will be better skilled to seek employment elsewhere.

This year, of the 46 learners who completed the course, 11 were previously unemployed and are now employed at Multotec following a successful recruitment and selection process. Since the inception of the learnership programme in 2016, the company has proudly hired a total of 67 previously unemployed learners, including a number of individuals with a disability.

By claiming the learnership tax deduction, employee tax incentive and successfully applying for discretionary grants from the relevant SETA’s, Multotec have also ensured a return on investment on money spent. 

“The learnership is 70% practical and 30% theoretical, so 30% of the 12-month course is spent in the classroom onsite, where all four programmes are taught,” says James.

“The learners who engaged in the programme, and were current Multotec employees, have been able to implement what they have learnt, completing assessments, and assigned projects at their areas of work. During the course, the non-Multotec (unemployed) group of learners were placed in relevant areas of the business to gain their practical experience. All learners are allocated a mentor who oversees their progress.”

Positive feedback

James says that the company has received positive feedback from learners who have completed the learnership around how they have benefited from it. Generally, she says, employees get a much better understanding of business itself and their role within the bigger context of the organisation.

“Many of the Multotec employees, including those who were previously not employed by the company and subsequently gained employment, have been afforded the opportunity to either move into a better position at Multotec, or have been considered for a possible promotion. As a result, we have witnessed remarkable growth and development among our internal staff members who have completed the various programmes.”

James says the success of the learnership demonstrates the importance of not just running training and skills development programmes to score BBBEE points as part of a check box exercise.

“For us, this has been a real success. All organisations would ultimately benefit from offering comprehensive learnerships as we are essentially creating a pool of skills for each other. Given the general lack of skills and high unemployment in South Africa, the entire industry benefits from a marketable skills pool,” she concludes.