RCL FOODS says Y.E.S to youth

Creating a secure future for our company and country starts with inspiring great people – youth included. Against a backdrop of rising youth unemployment, RCL FOODS has been working to make a difference to young people’s lives both within and beyond the organisation. Our participation in the Y.E.S. (Youth Employment Service) Programme is one initiative we are particularly proud of, and momentum is building for even MORE IMPACT in the youth space going forward.

The Y.E.S. Programme is a business-led collaboration with Government that focuses on previously disadvantaged youth between the ages of 18 and 35 by providing work experience for one year. This gives young people a chance to demonstrate their abilities, establish their work ethic and prove their worth.

Last year we placed over 330 young people in newly created 12-month fixed term contract work experience opportunities across our business. Of these, 55 have now been placed in permanent positions (a 16.6% absorption rate) and one has been selected for our Management Trainee Programme which focuses on building future leaders. This means that the Y.E.S. Programme is not only transforming and empowering our communities, but building a pipeline of talented employees for RCL FOODS.

Alongside the Y.E.S. Programme, we also ran two other brand new youth development initiatives this year: the Siyabhaka Academy which trained

10 aspiring young professionals in the Baking business, and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 2 Sugar Processing learnership, whose 50 learners include 24 young people who have been equipped with critical skills for the sugar industry. Through these initiatives we are helping empower youth for a brighter future – especially post COVID-19.