Engen Petroleum, the country’s favourite petrol station brand[1], this week revealed the names of its top students for 2014 in the Engen Maths & Science School (EMSS) programme.

They are: Faatimah Jada from Rylands High School in Cape Town; Hideaki Kasai from Livingstone High School, also in Cape Town and Sandile Nxati from Molly Blackburn Secondary School in Uitenhage.

All three achieved a spectacular average of more than 90% for maths, science and English – the subjects given priority in the EMSS programme.

Between them, they further share eight distinctions out of a possible nine. In Sandile’s case, perfect scores in maths and science made his standing of third overall in the country all the more special.

Corporate contribution

Mntu Nduvane, Engen’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, says the EMSS programme seeks to better the future of talented young people in difficult circumstances and to contribute to the pool of scarce skills in the country.

“Starting off as Engen Saturday Schools 30 years ago, EMSS is central to our efforts to contribute to the growth and transformation of the country. The programme has worked tirelessly to transform young lives and has, we believe, made a useful contribution to a more transformed and vibrant workforce.”

Support and rewards

The 397 matric learners that have come through Engen’s 2014 programme all had the benefit of financial support from Engen, to capitalise on its offer of free extra tuition. This includes free  transport to EMSS ‘schools’ in the student’s area, lunch, and an EMSS ‘uniform’.

In many cases, students who go on to achieve excellent ‘bachelor passes’, allowing them to attend university, may also be eligible for Engen’s bursary programme, says Nduvane.

Looking ahead

Equipping people with potential and drive to succeed in their careers sums up Engen’s approach to human capital management and education-focused corporate social investment programmes, he continues.

“We identify, support, reward, recruit, train and develop high-potential candidates for fulfilling careers in skills-challenged fields, in support of SA’s transformational agenda and Engen’s own business. If we all pull together, we believe we can still build an economy that fires on all cylinders, so that we may truly fulfil our potential as a regional, even global power.”

For more information please contact Gavin Smith, Engen Group Communication Manager,
Gavin.Smith@engenoil.com   Tel: +27 21 403 4312   Cell: +27 82 379 1700