Tumelo Myeza, the first apprentice at Volvo Pinetown branch.
Three learners who had received the scholarships together with the SFL Executive Director Dr Per Strand, Area Manager for Durban schools Mr Simingaye Zulu and Tasleem Shaik the Business Controller at Volvo Pinetown branch.
The Star For Skills programme has now become a key component of the services that Star for
Life can offer the schools. It represents our effort to provide a bridge to a
working life for learners who are not interested in an academic university
education.
And
it works! Manqoba Mkhize was one of the very first apprentices. He, started
working in the warehouse but his passion and dedication to the job showed Volvo
that he was well suited for more challenging tasks so he was moved to a
workshop and trained as a technician. “I never thought that I would be a
qualified technician and I wish to pass the information that I have gained to
other apprentices who are coming from the same background as I am”, said
Manqoba.
His
colleague Tumelo Myeza, a matriculate from uMkhumbi High School and now an apprentice at Volvo agrees:
“My dream has always been to work as team leader and Star For Life and
Volvo has helped me in beginning the journey of my dream”.
The
Star For Life Area Manager for Durban schools, Simingaye Zulu, confirms that the
apprentices are good role models for youth who are still in school. “The success
of these graduates show that you can achieve your dreams no matter where you’re
coming from”, said Mr Zulu.
Tasleem
Shaik is the Business Controller at the Volvo Truck branch at Pinetown. She said
the programme has proved to be a great success: “The first group of apprentices
were all successful and we have since then taken on three more ‘generations’ of
SFL learners. We will continue with the
programme to support youth in fulfilling their dreams”, said Ms. Shaik.
The
support to SFL from Volvo is however not limited to sponsorships of schools and
the apprenticeship programme. When SFL visited Volvo at its Pinetown branch on
22nd of April, we met the three recent matriculants from SFL schools
in Umlazi who had received a personal scholarship of R5000 each from three Volvo
executives in Sweden. Based on donations from several sponsors, Star for Life
was able to hand out 37 such scholarships this year.
Star
for Life would like to thank Volvo for its commitment to Star for Life and for
showing great leadership in developing new models for corporate support with
mutual benefits to the company and the youth of South Africa.