Vanderbijlpark, In a joint media briefing today, the Vaal University of Technology and Sasol announced the launch of the Sasol Entrepreneurship Initiative. The Vaal University of Technology is happy to become the third university to offer a well-proven template for the development of young entrepreneurs, all due to the socially-conscious petrochemical giant, SASOL.

The parties reported that the six-month programme comprised of sixteen modules covering accounting, entrepreneurship, operations, human resources, marketing and business plan preparation. ‘Soft’ skills will also receive attention which includes effective communication, and presentation and time management skills.

Mark Johnson, Head of the Enterprise Development Unit at the university, said that, “The objective of the course is to implement an enterprise development programme for the youth, and especially those that come from deprived backgrounds. They will be provided with the necessary skills to start, manage and market their own businesses.

“The programme includes theoretical and practical components, as well as after-course mentorship to help programme graduates form sustainable, economically viable businesses that have a beneficial impact on their local communities.”

To qualify for the programme, candidates must have matriculated and be younger than 34. Selection criteria included the completion of three essays and an interview. The programme is targeted at residents of the Vaal Triangle.

According to Dr Ivor Zwane, Sasol Sasolburg’s General Manager for Public Affairs, “ This programme is for a duration of three years and it forms part of our corporate social investment commitment, which has a strong focus on community development in areas adjacent to our plants. In line with our motto of ‘Together, shaping tomorrow’, one of our priorities is to enable quality higher education and the development of critical and scarce skills. This programme has the potential to make a significant contribution to the upliftment of local communities in this area.”

The programme starts on 1 March 2014 with an initial intake of 60 students. There will be a second intake, also of 60 people. The beneficial impact on local communities will be far greater than the actual number of students as their abilities once they have graduated will have an employment multiplier effect.  Graduates from the course who wish to study further will receive assistance to do so.