FedGroup learnership programme kickstarts career

Issued by Fedgroup Financial Services
Johannesburg, Oct 8, 2014

Brinny Mphogo's journey with FedGroup began over eight years ago when, as a 16-year-old, he started job shadowing at the family-owned, independent financial services group.

Under the mentorship of FedGroup executive Grant Field, Mphogo was able to further his education, obtaining a post-graduate degree, while gaining valuable on-the-job and life experience, in addition to securing full-time employment after completing his studies.

Having embraced the opportunities presented to him, Mphogo has now taken the next step in furthering his career, by accepting a position at a leading local primary healthcare provider.

However, it's not only Mphogo who has benefited from his time at FedGroup. As Field explains: "Brinny was the inspiration for our Iteke Learnership Programme, a year-long initiative that offers five matriculants mentorship, work experience, and a tertiary education."

The FedGroup Iteke Learnership Programme, which derives its name from a Sepedi phrase meaning 'to challenge yourself', selects matriculant participants from FedGroup beneficiaries. During the programme participants rotate through various departments, spending two months in each, and FedGroup also pays the tutelage and exam fees for a SETA-accredited certificate in Business Administration Services.

As the pilot participant for the programme, Mphogo was subsequently chosen to head-up the initiative and act as the primary mentor to the first intake of participants when the learnership officially launched in February 2014.

Mphogo says: "Having experienced it myself, I can vouch for the influence mentorship has on a young person. It has certainly been instrumental in shaping not only my career, but also the person I am today."

Mphogo elaborates: "I began my internship at FedGroup during school holidays, initially helping the groundsman and doing everything I could to gain experience. I then moved to the IT department, which was exciting as I thought that was where my interest lay. However, after sitting with the programmers at FedGroup I realised that IT wasn't a good fit for me. If it wasn't for the internship I would never have known that, and would have followed the same route most school leavers do - obtaining a degree and starting a career in a field that we're ultimately not that passionate about."

His time at FedGroup helped guide him, which has led to his new career path. "It has taught me a lot about people, which helped me discover my passion for corporate communications. I don't think I would've reached this point in my career without the time spent at FedGroup and the experience I gained at the company. For those reasons I will be forever grateful to FedGroup and the executive team."

He also feels the internship programme places participants in a highly advantageous position in the job market, not only because of the qualification obtained, but also the soft skills the programme imparts.

"The Iteke Learnership Programme equips young people with important skills that formal tertiary education is unable to teach. For example, some of the most valuable lessons I learnt included learning to understand what you're being asked to do, and to never underestimate the impact of your role within an organisation, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you."

Mphogo also believes the business principles he learnt from FedGroup and the company's employees are transferable to any business situation or industry. "The ethics and principles, and the way you carry yourself, will be the same in any professional setting. FedGroup has played an integral role in establishing and shaping my values."

In closing, Mphogo states that, based on his experience and the success of the first intake of participants in 2014, the Iteke programme is the ideal way to help young beneficiaries bridge the fairly significant gap between high school and the world of work.

"Both the participants I have mentored this year and I have benefited greatly from the growth in self-esteem and competence the programme promotes. We were also able to get a taste of corporate life in an organisation where family values are entrenched, which offers perspective to school leavers who often feel they know everything. It's also a challenging programme, which means it's not suited to school leavers looking for a gap year, but that makes it ideal for people who wish to build a strong foundation for future success. It has certainly done so in my own life, which is why I would encourage any learner who is a FedGroup beneficiary, and is currently in their matric year, to apply for the Iteke Learnership Programme's 2015 intake," he concludes.

*Applicants should submit a short CV and their most recent results to Anne Grunow at [email protected]. Deadline for application is 31 October 2014.