Sportscene YES Programme: Empowering Unemployed Youth in South Africa

The Youth Employment Service (YES) is a South African government initiative aimed at providing work experience opportunities for unemployed youth. In partnership with YES, Sportscene, a leading South African sportswear and footwear retailer, has launched the Sportscene YES Programme. This innovative program offers unemployed young people a chance to gain valuable skills, experience, and exposure to the retail industry, enhancing their employability and entrepreneurial potential. This article explores the Sportscene YES Programme in detail, highlighting its objectives, structure, and impact on the lives of unemployed youth in South Africa.

The Need for Youth Empowerment

South Africa faces a significant youth unemployment crisis, with millions of young people struggling to find work and build meaningful careers. This challenge is particularly acute among disadvantaged communities, where a lack of education, skills, and opportunities perpetuates a cycle of poverty and marginalization. The Sportscene YES Programme aims to address this issue by providing a platform for unemployed youth to develop their potential and access new opportunities in the retail sector.

Programme Objectives

The primary objectives of the Sportscene YES Programme are:

1. Skills Development: Equip participants with practical skills and knowledge relevant to the retail industry, including sales, customer service, merchandising, and stock management.
2. Work Experience: Provide participants with hands-on work experience in Sportscene stores, allowing them to apply their learning in a real-world setting and build their professional portfolios.
3. Mentorship: Assign experienced Sportscene staff members as mentors to guide and support participants throughout the program, offering advice, feedback, and encouragement.
4. Employability: Enhance participants’ employability by developing their soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and professionalism, which are highly valued by employers across industries.
5. Entrepreneurship: Foster an entrepreneurial mindset among participants, encouraging them to identify business opportunities, develop innovative ideas, and consider self-employment as a viable career path.

Programme Structure

The Sportscene YES Programme is a 12-month initiative that combines classroom-based training, practical work experience, and mentorship. The program is structured as follows:

1. Recruitment and Selection: Sportscene, in collaboration with YES, identifies and selects eligible unemployed youth aged 18-35 who demonstrate a passion for the retail industry and a willingness to learn and grow.
2. Induction and Orientation: Participants attend an induction session where they are introduced to Sportscene’s values, culture, and expectations, as well as the objectives and structure of the YES Programme.
3. Classroom Training: Participants undergo a comprehensive training program that covers various aspects of the retail industry, including product knowledge, sales techniques, customer service, visual merchandising, and stock management. The training is delivered by experienced Sportscene trainers and industry experts.
4. In-Store Experience: Following the classroom training, participants are placed in Sportscene stores across the country, where they gain practical experience in various roles, such as sales associates, merchandisers, and stock controllers. They work alongside experienced staff members who provide guidance and support.
5. Mentorship: Each participant is assigned a mentor, typically a store manager or senior staff member, who provides regular feedback, coaching, and advice throughout the program. Mentors help participants set goals, overcome challenges, and develop their skills and confidence.
6. Entrepreneurship Workshops: Participants attend a series of workshops focused on entrepreneurship, where they learn about business planning, financial management, marketing, and other key aspects of starting and running a successful business. These workshops aim to ignite their entrepreneurial spirit and provide them with the tools and knowledge to pursue self-employment opportunities.
7. Graduation and Certification: Upon successful completion of the 12-month program, participants receive a certificate of completion from Sportscene and YES, recognizing their achievements and the skills they have acquired.

Impact and Success Stories

Since its launch, the Sportscene YES Programme has made a significant impact on the lives of unemployed youth in South Africa. Hundreds of young people have completed the program, gaining valuable skills, experience, and exposure to the retail industry. Many graduates have secured permanent employment within Sportscene or other retail companies, while others have ventured into entrepreneurship, starting their own businesses or pursuing further education.

Success stories of Sportscene YES Programme graduates showcase the transformative power of the initiative:

• Sipho, a 24-year-old from Soweto, joined the program with no prior work experience. Through the training and mentorship he received, Sipho discovered a passion for visual merchandising and was offered a permanent position as a visual merchandiser at a Sportscene store upon graduation.
• Thandi, a 28-year-old single mother from Durban, struggled to find employment before joining the Sportscene YES Programme. The program not only equipped her with retail skills but also boosted her confidence and communication abilities. Thandi now works as a store manager at a leading sportswear retailer, providing for her family and inspiring other young women in her community.
• Lebo, a 22-year-old from Cape Town, always dreamed of starting his own business. The entrepreneurship workshops in the Sportscene YES Programme provided him with the knowledge and tools to turn his vision into reality. With the support of his mentor, Lebo developed a business plan and secured funding to launch his own sports coaching venture, employing other young people from his community.

These stories demonstrate the real-world impact of the Sportscene YES Programme, not only in terms of individual lives transformed but also in the broader context of addressing youth unemployment and promoting entrepreneurship in South Africa.

Conclusion

The Sportscene YES Programme is a shining example of how the private sector can collaborate with government initiatives to tackle the pressing issue of youth unemployment in South Africa. By providing skills development, work experience, mentorship, and entrepreneurship support, the program empowers unemployed youth to build successful careers and contribute meaningfully to the economy. As more companies follow Sportscene’s lead and invest in youth development programs, South Africa can look forward to a brighter future, where young people are equipped with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to thrive in the workforce and beyond.