On-the-job training prepares graduates for corporate world
In an effort to afford graduates who come straight out of university the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the actual corporate job market, SME Compete this year gave four interns, two at their Windhoek office and two at the Ongwediva office, the chance to gain much needed on-the-job training.
The initiative was made possible through support from the FNB foundation as they are also aware of the fact that many young graduates struggle to find work as they do not have practical experience yet, according to Claudine Mouton of SME Compete.
“We have done this on-the-job training since we began operations but have always had some financial constraints. This year FNB Namibia, a long-standing partner of SME Compete came to the party and through their support we can continue with the internship component full steam,” Mouton added.
According to Mouton, SME Compete felt more had to be done to help graduates gain work experience as many prospective employers demand this of first-time employees.
“For this reason, we decided to approach the FNB Namibia Holdings Foundation Trust for funding support to increase the number we could take on this year,” she said.
SME Compete has provided work experience opportunities on an ad hoc basis to young Namibians since the firm’s founding in March 2006. Interns gain practical experience in a number of fields from administrative duties to customer relations, business registrations and more.
“Some of our interns now hold managerial positions at corporate companies and we are proud of them and know that this programme of ours has definitely played a big role,” she said.
Meanwhile, Clara Bohitile, Chairperson of the FNB Holdings Foundation Trust visited SME Compete and met with Maria Kuassi-Kpede and Aina Ekandjo who are currently doing their internships.
Bohitile said, “This project is in line with FNB’s P4 strategy, particularly under the People pillar to transform human capital not just within the bank but also for those in the community in which we operate. We assist in developing diverse, highly-skilled and motivated individuals in the market. Once these youngsters have been equipped with the skills and experience they will be able to use these to create their own success stories and tap into the corporate world”.
