Johannesburg - When Nomvuyo Thabete was growing up in Phahameng, Bultfontein, she dreamt of one day wearing the blue uniform of a police officer. As the eldest of five girls, Thabete was the first sister to finish school but at the time, she had set her sights on university and her talent for maths led her to the field of accounting.
Her hard work over the next few years at the University of the Free State earned her a B Comm degree in Accounting in 2019, which laid the foundation for her dream career as an accountant. But then things stalled, and Thabete came up against a brick wall trying to find a job as a fresh graduate with no experience.
The answer to her prayers came in an unlikely form. When Thabete heard that there were learnerships going at Supreme Poultry’s abattoir at Botshabelo in the Free State.
Country Bird Holdings (CBH), which owns Supreme, is a participant in the Yes4Youth government programme in which private-sector companies provide 12-month internships to young people, giving them the work experience that will make them more employable.
With youth unemployment figures standing at a staggering 62%, the importance of initiatives of this kind cannot be overstated. In addition to the work experience, Supreme further expanded the opportunity by offering AgriSETA-accredited courses in Poultry Processing and Poultry Production during the same year, so that the youngsters who qualify earn NQF level 1,2 or 3 certificates. The companies that participate in Yes4Youth receive BBEEE benefits for the programme.
Thabete applied and was accepted into the NQF 1 Poultry Processing learnership, starting October 2019. She was all set for a year’s learnership at Supreme’s Botshabelo abattoir, with the possibility of an AgriSETA certificate at the end, and a new career in the poultry industry.
But while she was busy with the company's induction process, she received an invitation from CBH’s group accountant to come for an interview at the company’s Bloemfontein head office. She worked in the abattoir for a single night shift, but following the interview she was offered an internship in the accounting department at head office, and the chance to earn a NQF 3 Business Administration certificate instead.
She was appointed as a trainee admin clerk for the 12 months of the learnership, under the supervision and guidance of one of the senior accountants, and at the end of the learnership, October 2020, Vuyo was hired on a permanent basis.
Three years on, she has become an invaluable part of CBH’s administrative team, and has also become mom to a little boy. She believes that life might not deliver what you wish for, but it does deliver what you work for.
“We all need to start somewhere, so we should grab every opportunity that comes our way, even the small ones. My advice to others starting out is not to miss any opportunity, because a small beginning is a stepping stone to bigger things.”
CBH has ushered 600 young people through the programme since getting involved four years ago, and the class of 2023 comprises 150 students at the different Supreme and Nutri Feeds facilities who will complete their year in November. Recruitment and selection for the next intake will start around October and depends on the opportunities available at the company’s different facilities. Once the process is open for application, CBH will advertise on the Facebook page of the training provider Amphi SA.