Bosch Rexroth Africa, leaders in hydraulics, pneumatics and automation, recently completed a successful Youth Employment Service (YES) Programme. The programme is an initiative undertaken by the government and the private sector to try and reach the goal of creating one million jobs for the country’s youth. The company participated in the initiative for the second time following the success of the 2021-2022 programme.  

The YES programme targets youth from previously disadvantaged groups. Participants from this year’s graduating class comprised 36 people aged between 18 and 25. The class had 23 women participating, a staggering increase from the 13 that graduated previously.

The participants were placed at numerous Bosch Rexroth Africa branches to acquire experience and skills in various fields including IT, administration, finance and HR. The programme includes over 12 months of workplace Experiential Learning. Each learner is assigned a mentor who monitors progress and gives quarterly reports. At the end of 12-month duration, the class graduates and those who excelled within the YES programme are offered permanent or limited duration contracts of employment by the Group.

A graduation ceremony recognising those who completed the programme was held on 6 March 2023. It was attended by Bosch Rexroth Africa’s Chief Operating Officer, Mike Harrison and Hytec South Africa’s General Manager, Freddie Kühn. The class of 2022 had tremendous success with 24 of the 36 learners being offered permanent or limited duration contracts in positions across the Group. The remaining 12 participants have been equipped with the necessary tools and aid in furthering their job searches, they were taught how to properly compile a CV and their CVs were forwarded for various vacancies.

The successful participation in the YES programme illustrates the dedication Bosch Rexroth Africa exhibits towards the communities in which it operates. Bosch Rexroth Africa Skills Development Facilitator, Jolene Smith commented on the programme’s success, “This year’s graduates have shown the highest growth on a personal and career level from the day they started to completion of the 12 months of their programme. We are incredibly proud of them and we wish them all the best”.

The Group continues to empower the youth through this initiative, with the selection process for the third cohort already underway.