Impala Rustenburg has developed and launched an innovative mobile Career Expo, an inspirational and aspirational showcase which introduced more than 5 700 local high school pupils to a range of career opportunities in the mining industry. The expos launch was timed to coincide with Youth Month, which this year is themed around “The Year of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke: Growing youth employment for an inclusive and transformed society”.
The mobile career expo visited 12 high schools in the mining community - all of which are supported by Impala Rustenburg. The expo is running from May 28 until August 17 this year, with breaks in the schedule to accommodate the school’s exam and holiday timetables. The aim of the career expo is to reach pupils in Grade 9 (providing subject choice guidance for Grade 10), and in grades 11 and 12 to assist in career planning.
“Impala Rustenburg believes in building and growing our future, and investing in our youth is key. With this in mind, we recognise the need to highlight the broad scope of career opportunities in South Africa’s mining industry for our high school pupils. The mobile nature of the expo enables us to reach a greater number of pupils than previously possible, while also adhering to Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings,” said Mark Munroe, Impala Rustenburg’s chief executive.
In a letter to the mining company, the district Department of Education confirmed its support for Impala Rustenburg’s Career Expo.
The career expo was hosted by South African comedian, Jay Boogie, and kept the pupils engaged and interested, while highlighting several of Impala Rustenburg’s initiatives aimed at empowering the youth, including:
- On-the-job training, which is provided for some entry-level jobs;
- Graduate internships, available across a wide range of disciplines. Minimum requirements considered for a graduate internship include a matric certificate or a higher qualification;
- Learnerships for specific job categories;
- Cadet programmes, which develop critical mining skills; and
- Bursary programmes to fund university education for matriculants.
The career expo aims to educate the pupils about their options and equip them with information about what they can look forward to if they choose a career in the mining industry – either with Impala Rustenburg or another mining company.