Provantage Media Group (PMG) is proud to announce the graduation of the first intake of learners at the PMG Training Academy, which was founded in 2015 to provide skills and opportunities to unemployed individuals keen to explore a career in marketing.
The first graduates of the Services SETA-accredited 12-month marketing learnership will shortly be receiving their NQF Level 4 FET Certificates in Marketing, which will enable them to seek employment in the job market. SETA equips learners with a monthly stipend and course material, while PMG provides training, support, mentoring and work experience.
While learnerships are primarily designed to increase the skills of talented individuals, they also provide them with soft skills that allow them to become excellent brand representatives. Learners are equipped with a body of knowledge embracing sales, appropriate dress and presentation, and dealing with consumers; in addition, PMG Training Academy goes way beyond the traditional college environment by mentoring learners and encouraging a holistic view of how skills may be integrated within the world of work.
Renee Fouche, Provantage Media Group Training Manager, said the learnerships not only provide valuable skills but encourage learners to grow and develop as human beings. “Our mentorship sessions are also life-skills sessions – we teach learners how to respond to everyday challenges with confidence, fearlessness and a problem-solving attitude. This fosters self-esteem and leads to better communication.”
A number of the youngsters were alerted to the Marketing learnership when they were already working as brand ambassadors at ProActive™, a division of PMG. However, most learners were unemployed and gained a newfound sense of hope when enrolling for the learnerships, which have allowed them to consider a career in marketing – something they had in many instances not thought about before.
Learners said they have learnt valuable skills such as communication, time management and how to market products. Those who excelled during the learnership were offered work and even went on to become team leaders at the Academy. Some have even found work at the head office of PMG, further cementing the company’s commitment to assisting previously disadvantaged individuals in a practical, sustainable manner. Learners who show an interest in self-improvement, growth and entrepreneurship receive encouragement and motivation.
Aside from being able to take care of basic needs, learners have brand-new skill sets and increased self-esteem to draw on, proving that PMG cares about South Africans and is keen to foster future leaders in the field of marketing.
PMG Training Academy will run two learnerships this year – Business Administration and Project Management. There are 200 unemployed learners enrolled for the Business Administration course, which looks at everything required to run a business, from front-of-house matters and communication to budgeting, time management and ethics. The Project Management course looks at how to manage a project from inception to finalisation. SESTO, which is the PMG training provider, runs the courses and provides the facilitators that teach these classes. Both these projects are overseen by PMG’s Training Manager, Renee Fouche.
For more information on PMG and the PMG Academy, contact Renee Fouche on ReneeF@Provantage.co.za or call PMG on 0861 776 826.
Visit www.provantage.co.za or follow PMG on Twitter @ProvantageSA
