The Amy Foundation and Lagoon Beach Hotel in South Africa have teamed up to combat the country’s alarming youth unemployment rate of 45.5%. The partnership provides practical experience and skill enhancement opportunities to young adults interested in pursuing careers in the hospitality industry. Already, 127 individuals have benefited from the programme, with 47 securing contracts and seasonal positions. The collaboration serves as an inspiring model for how targeted initiatives and strong partnerships can lead to sustainable solutions to pressing societal problems.
The Amy Foundation and Lagoon Beach Hotel have partnered to provide crucial learning opportunities in the hospitality industry for young adults in South Africa. This initiative is aimed at tackling the alarming youth unemployment rate of 45.5%. Already, the programme has created opportunities for 127 individuals, with 47 securing contracts and seasonal positions. The programme offers practical experience and skill enhancement opportunities to springboard interns to success in the hospitality industry.
In a daring attempt to address the spiraling youth unemployment in South Africa, the Amy Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment with the Lagoon Beach Hotel. Their collective mission is to equip promising young adults with crucial learning opportunities within the hospitality industry. A recent report by Statistics South Africa shows a worrying unemployment rate of 32.9% in the nation, with the youth bearing the greater burden at a disturbing 45.5%.
This alliance, initiated back in August 2022, has already created invaluable opportunities for 127 young individuals. An impressive 47 of these individuals have progressed to secure contracts and seasonal positions. With a steadfast dedication to their cause, both organisations continue to recognise and place around 16 deserving candidates in internships each month. This program serves as a springboard for the interns, offering them practical experience and vital skill enhancement opportunities – key factors for success in the hospitality industry.
However, it’s worth noting that the Lagoon Beach Hotel isn’t able to offer subsequent placements to all interns within their establishment. Those who excel during their internships and demonstrate their potential are then taken into consideration for additional placement opportunities.
This enduring partnership has profoundly impacted the lives of countless young individuals. Hilary George, the program manager for the Youth Skills Development Programme, shared her joy about the ongoing success of the collaboration. “This partnership provides crucial skills and valuable work experience but also instills a sense of hope and possibility for the future. By creating access to real opportunities, we’re empowering our young people to build a brighter, more secure future for themselves and their communities,” stated George.
Echoing George’s sentiment, Kevin Chaplin, the managing director of the Amy Foundation, championed the collaboration as a manifestation of the achievements possible when organisations unite with a common vision.
Similarly, Pieter Buitendag, the general manager of Lagoon Beach Hotel, concurred. “Our partnership with the Amy Foundation gives us a significant opportunity to support our community,” affirmed Buitendag. He further explained, “The hospitality industry, seriously affected by the Covid pandemic, is wrestling with a huge skills gap. By investing in the skills and potential of our youth, we are not merely addressing unemployment but building a stronger future for our industry and our nation.”
This strategic partnership casts a ray of hope amid high unemployment rates. By equipping young adults with valuable skills and real-life work experience, they are not only tackling the urgent issue of youth unemployment, but also contributing to the overall development and growth of the hospitality industry. It serves as an inspiring template for how collaboration between organisations can lead to sustainable resolutions to pressing societal problems.
The Amy Foundation and Lagoon Beach Hotel are showing how targeted initiatives and strong partnerships can change the trajectory for young individuals in South Africa. Through their commitment, they are not only addressing short-term employment issues, but also making a long-term investment in the future of their nation. Their work serves as a beacon of hope and a testament to what can be achieved when organisations unite with a shared vision.
The partnership between the Amy Foundation and Lagoon Beach Hotel aims to combat the alarming youth unemployment rate of 45.5% in South Africa by providing practical experience and skill enhancement opportunities to young adults interested in pursuing careers in the hospitality industry.
127 individuals have benefited from the programme so far, with 47 of them securing contracts and seasonal positions.
No, the Lagoon Beach Hotel is not able to offer subsequent placements to all interns within their establishment. Those who excel during their internships and demonstrate their potential are then taken into consideration for additional placement opportunities.
The partnership has profoundly impacted the lives of countless young individuals by providing crucial skills and valuable work experience and instilling a sense of hope and possibility for the future.
By investing in the skills and potential of young individuals in the hospitality industry, the partnership is not only addressing unemployment but also building a stronger future for the industry and the nation.
This partnership serves as an inspiring template for how collaboration between organizations can lead to sustainable resolutions to pressing societal problems and as a beacon of hope and a testament to what can be achieved when organizations unite with a shared vision.
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