The Youth Development Trust (YDT), together with Nokia, today launched the 'Make a Connection' 2001 programme.
This programme aims to empower and develop young people’s lives and professional skills through bridging the gap between tertiary education and the workplace.
As a partner of the International Youth Foundation (IYF) in South Africa, which is spearheading the global “Make a Connection” programme in four countries, the YDT received over R2 million for planning and implementing the 'Make a Connection' programme in South Africa. Absolute Change Reconciliation and Diversity (CRD) is the appointed training provider of the 'Make a Connection' Programme in South Africa.
“Young people growing up in today’s globalized world, need to master essential life skills—cultural tolerance, conflict resolution, financial management, and planning for the future,” said IYF Founder and President Rick Little. "Through the Make a Connection programme in South Africa, we are proud to be working with Nokia and the Youth Development Trust to ensure that more young people gain access to these critical skills and opportunities for growth and development.”
Since its inception on October 1, 2000, the programme has successfully focused on the provision of life skills that equip young graduates with vital tools to cope with the challenges of adulthood from both a social and economic perspective. Young people exposed to this programme will display qualities such as enhanced professionalism and business practice understanding, self confidence, ability to work in teams, motivation to succeed and responsibility to one's community.
The programme has been piloted in Gauteng and will be expanded to the Northern Province in April 2001. The pilot phase, which ran for 12 weeks, has already trained one group of 25 selected young graduates from Gauteng. Some of these graduates have been placed and have permanent jobs at various companies. These graduates have also offered themselves to be mentors to the next group of 25 graduates that started the programme on 22 January 2001. All together 100 graduates will be trained during this pilot phase. Following the evaluation of the pilot phase, the partners in this project will consider the feasibility of replicating the programme to other provinces.
This announcement follows the launch of the global partnership between Nokia and the International Youth Foundation (IYF) on April 12, 2000, to develop programmes together with IYF partners, aimed at improving the lives of young people worldwide through education. Six countries - China, Mexico, South Africa, United Kingdom, Germany and Brazil - were chosen to run the pilot programmes, and each country will address its own specific needs faced by the youth.
The South African project is providing training in areas such as Managing Change; Presentation skills; Professional values and ethics; Team building; the World of Work and Computer Skills. "It is not ambitious to predict that this programme will address a visible gap in the employer’s need for “prepared” new employees. It will also enable our youth to successfully seek employment or create it," said Archie Tsoku, CEO of the Youth Development Trust.
This effort continues Nokia's ongoing commitment to socially responsible initiatives. Given Nokia's leadership in future-oriented technologies, youth and their education is a logical focus for the company's corporate citizenship efforts.
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings in six major exchanges.
Further information:
Youth Development Trust
Archie Tsoku: Chief Executive Officer
Tel: 011 472 4594
Cell: 083 267 8046
Absolute CRD
Terry Oakley-Smith
Managing Director
Tel: 011 487 1562
Nokia
Corporate Communications
Tel. +358 7180 34424
Email: communications.corporate@nokia.com
www.nokia.com