COEGA Development Corporation (CDC) has enrolled 185 new graduates into internship programmes – 166 in the Eastern Cape and 19 in KwaZulu-Natal – of which 68 have already moved into permanent employment within the organisation.
“CDC plays a pivotal role in the development of young people in the EC and country at large by introducing a myriad of training initiatives that are aimed at positioning aspiring professionals favourably for employment in the corporate world,” said Zola Ngoma, CDC’s unit head of Performance and Talent Management. In addition, the 18-month impactful internship programme offers these graduates on-the-job-training by linking them with mentors who have vast experience in their respective disciplines.
“The main objective of the internship programme is to equip the interns with relevant market related skills which improves their marketability with prospective employers,” said Ntombozuko Mbuzwana, a CDC performance monitoring and evaluation officer.
In conjunction with the University of Cape Town (UCT) Information Systems Department, CDC offers the Business Analysis and Systems Analysis (BASA) course, with the end qualification being a post-graduate BASA diploma (PG DIP BASA, NQF Level 8).
The BASA training programme is offered part-time over a one year period during the student’s internship contract. Candidates are formally assessed through their submission of business cases, monthly assignments, oral presentations and formal exams in line with the academic and assessment calendars at UCT.
Nosipho Buyapi, a former HR intern at Coega now employed as a junior business analyst, said: “Coega has opened many doors for me since I joined the organisation in 2012. I am now an analyst thanks to the BASA programme. The support I received from my Corporate Services team is what kept me going even when I felt like giving up.”
CDC also advances its graduates-in-training by providing Prince 2 project management training. During the 14/15 financial year, 70 interns received the training. CDC marketing intern Sonke Mavumengwana said: “Project management is one of the skills that can be applied to all professions, and teaches the importance of time and quality management.”
Coega additionally offers interns the opportunity to obtain their driver’s licences through the Coega flagship driver training programme. More than 60 interns have obtained their licenses in the past year.
On top of this, training is offered in communications, and more than 30 interns were trained in business etiquette in the past financial year.
“We are passionate about development and believe that internship and skills development play a key role – not only in the company’s progress but also in contributing to economic development,” said Dr Ayanda Vilakazi, CDC head of Marketing and Communications.
Port Elizabethan
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