Selection of first class complete

After using various platforms to attract budding young entrepreneurs, including outreach activities led by Hope Africa (the social development division of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa), whose role in Y-AGE is fundraising and community outreach, the entrepreneurship programme has reached one of its biggest milestones.

Following a rigorous selection process which was facilitated and driven by a panel of industry experts, the selection process for the first class of Y-AGE is complete.

Successful applicants will receive their acceptance confirmation by e-mail and SMS today. With this confirmation will be a unique reference number and banking details into which the applicants must pay their R500 commitment fee.

Receipt of the commitment fee will be acknowledgement that the applicant is still interested in being part of the programme, after which their details will be captured on the list of trainees confirmed to begin class at the end of this month.

“We urge all successful applicants to show how serious they are about starting their own businesses by paying the commitment fee and securing their place in the first class of Y-AGE,” said Seomanele Mashishi, the chairman of the South African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (Sacord) – the selection and training implementation partner for Y-AGE.

Onkgopotse JJ Tabane, chief executive of Oresego Holdings, said of the more than 8 000 trainees who will be part of this first class: “This is but a fraction of the number of young people that Y-AGE will ultimately turn into entrepreneurs.

“Interested young people must continue to apply, as the training of the first class will run concurrently with the recruitment and selection of subsequent classes.”

Oresego Holdings is responsible for the communications, marketing, media liaison and mentorship elements of the Y-AGE programme.

Interventions are being negotiated with public sector partners to help as many of the unsuccessful applicants as possible, and once the negotiations are finalised the interventions will be shared with the public.

With the first selection phase of Y-AGE wrapped up, it seems the programme is well on its way to achieving its objective of building 125 000 entrepreneurs by the end of 2014, and contributing to the country’s economic growth.

Y-AGE is a public-private partnership between Oresego Holdings, Sacord and Hope Africa, which is endorsed by the Gauteng Department of Economic Development and its MEC Qedani Mahlangu, as well as the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller.

l Interested applicants can apply to be part of Y-AGE by visiting www.y-age.co.za or contacting the Y-AGE call centre at 010 590 0260.