At Kia, most of the YES programme learners have been placed in Sales Co-ordinator roles throughout the Kia retail network and at its head office. This will allow the learners to gain valuable experience ranging from customer service, administration, vehicle financing and an overall perspective of what it takes to run such a business.

“Work experience is crucial as there is a huge difference between a textbook and hands-on experience,” says Pamentha Kadathlal, Human Resources Director at Kia South Africa. “We want to give these learners a variety of work experiences so they can discover their passion and start building successful careers.”

The introduction of the 355 YES youth will be staggered across different divisions within Motus – where 63 learners will find their feet at Kia – and provide previously unemployed youth with a one-year fixed-term contract, a mobile device for ongoing support and training, as well as access to jobs across the group.

“While more than 8.5 million youth are unemployed, they are not unemployable. A current YES survey that tracks YES alumni has surprised us with exciting results showing that 42% of youth called have been absorbed into employment. This data shows that YES programmes are making youth more employable, despite a lack of formal education,” says Dr Tashmia Ismail, YES chief executive.

“What we are seeing from companies like Motus, which are providing young people with that critical first work opportunity, is that an ability and willingness to train young people on the job, bring energy and innovation into their business. This in turn triggers an economic ripple effect that helps reignite an economy in which more young people are included. We cannot leave another generation behind.”

Motus firmly believes that the corporate sector has a keen responsibility toward skills development in South Africa. “By partnering with and investing in programmes such as YES, we are not only providing an opportunity for those 355 youths, but we are expanding the talent pool for the entire industry, which means we all benefit in the end,” says Osman Arbee, CEO of Motus.