Of the 520 candidates in the 2021 intake, 270 will be hosted at VWSA sites in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) and Gauteng. This group began their work readiness training on 1 March, ahead of being deployed to their new workplaces at the start of May 2021. These candidates will be deployed for 14 months at VWSA instead of the normal 12-month contract.

At the same time, the 141 candidates that were placed internally in March 2020 are staying for an additional six months, to offer them the experience they were unable to gain during the first months of national lockdown in 2020. Where possible, the candidates were supported to work remotely and attend online training during hard lockdown.

The other 250 candidates from the 2021 intake will be deployed to VWSA dealerships and SME partners countrywide later this year, when their 2020 counterparts finish their 12-month contracts.

The YES programme was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018 to enable young people without formal qualifications to gain work experience, with the aim of improving their chances at long-term quality employment. VWSA is participating in this important empowerment programme for the third consecutive year, bringing the total of opportunities they’ve created through this initiative to 1 600.

“Initiatives such as the YES programme, and the other graduate programmes offered by VWSA, play an integral role in preparing youth for their future careers,” said Dr Lesley Lee, Division Head of the VW Learning Academy. “We are honoured to play our part in alleviating the youth unemployment crisis, by creating opportunities that could ultimately empower the youth to gain quality employment.”