Fortune Favours the Prepared

By Bliss Yeni

August 15, 2025

Job readiness in motion

In July 2025, Umnotho welcomed 180 young people from Muldersdrift and surrounding areas for various opportunities. From this group, 60 youth were prepared for assessments for roles at Boxer Supermarket, while 58 attended a Job Readiness Workshop facilitated by IIE MSA University.

This is part of a broader approach rooted in consistent engagement, strong partnerships, and real-world preparation that speaks directly to the challenges young people face every day. The Job Readiness Workshop covered:

• Personal Grooming and Dress Code for Interviews

• Mastering Interview Questions

• Time Management Skills

• Workplace Professionalism

• Building Confidence for Assessments

  
  

Umnotho understands the importance of addressing both the soft skills and the psychological preparedness needed to navigate entry-level job opportunities, to ensure that participants not only get access to interviews but are well equipped to thrive in them.

Furthermore, recognising that transport costs often become a barrier to job access, Umnotho committed to covering 50% of participants’ transport costs to attend interviews, reducing a critical financial burden on youth and their families.

Umnotho and its partners are proving that change is possible when communities act decisively, but the scale of the challenge calls for many more hands. According to Stats SA, 34% of youth between the ages of 15 and 24 are not in employment, education or training. Businesses, institutions, and individuals who believe in a future driven by skilled, confident, and employed young people are invited to support, collaborate, and walk this journey with us.

Together, we can turn potential into progress and ensure that no young person is left behind.