YES, a South African not-for-profit company (NPC) born from the CEO Initiative, is a joint national initiative between business, government, and labour that aims to address South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis by providing unemployed youth with 12-month quality work experiences.
More than seven million young South Africans under the age of 35 are estimated to be unemployed or discouraged from seeking work. The YES programme is a collaborative effort to address the scourge of youth unemployment in South Africa, addressing South African citizens between the ages of 18 and 34, regardless of educational or professional backgrounds. It is a national programme that benefits both the companies that subscribe to it and the country’s economic base by creating social impact through the creation of youth jobs.
BMW Group South Africa signed the CEO pledge on Friday, December 9, 2022, becoming a YES agreement signatory. Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Stefan Schuett, CEO of BMW Group Financial Services South Africa, have committed to 510 YES programme jobs across the nine provinces. Candidates who answer yes will be placed in the BMW Group retailer network, SMMEs, and the ICT, education, and health sectors.
“We build more than just Cars”
The scourge of youth unemployment is one of South Africa’s biggest challenges,” said Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa, at the signing of the YES CEO pledge at the BMW Group South Africa headquarters in Midrand, Johannesburg. We have a clear transformation strategy in the South African automotive industry, and we are the industry leader for transformation under the auspices of the South African Automotive Masterplan (SAAM).
“With targets for localisation, our Automotive Industry Transformation Fund (AITF), various Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) funds, and clear employment targets for black and female South Africans, we aim to create a virtuous circle of employment and seeding new entrepreneurs in our industry. The difficulty is that this takes time. The YES programme is instantaneous and addresses the age-old problem of not finding a job without experience and not being able to gain experience without a job. The value of receiving a paycheck and gaining a year of work experience at a reputable company cannot be overstated in terms of what it does for one’s CV and self-esteem.
“We have taken the first step in onboarding over 500 youth into the programme at BMW with our YES implementation partner Afrika Tikkun, and I am pushing for over a thousand!”
– Van Binsbergen commented on the significance of this step for the BMW Group, saying,
“We feel a great sense of pride that we are contributing towards alleviating the key problem of our generation in South Africa. Don’t underestimate the energy of youth in your company, say yes to youth!”
he advised other companies considering joining the YES programme.
Hope and inspiration
“Youth is a flame, and skilled youth is an enabler for society,”
says Stefan Schuett, CEO of BMW Financial Services South Africa.
“Having been in the country for a little more than a year and knowing South Africa’s tragic history, I am surprised at how severe the problem of unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, remains.“
Signing the CEO pledge on 9 December was no coincidence for Schuett, as it is the day marked annually by BMW for the famous shareholders’ meeting in 1959 that secured the company’s independence. “First opportunities are critical, and by signing up for the YES programme we hope to give more young South Africans a start and the first step towards their independence,” said Schuett.
“It is truly an honour and a privilege to be part of this important milestone at BMW Group South Africa. Being amongst young people is infectious. As the Group HR Director, I know that the YES for youth programme provides a perfect talent pipeline for succession. That we sign this commitment shows our dedication to alleviating one of the biggest social crises facing this country. This is a true example of how we at BMW Group South Africa build more than just cars; we are building a future for otherwise-unemployable youth.”
– Julia Modise, BMW Group South Africa’s Human Resources Director
David Ouma, one of the first BMW YES youth inductees of the programme and present at the CEO pledge signing ceremony had this to say: “All of us YES youth come from different backgrounds, but we have one thing in common: We have been searching, some for many years, for an opportunity to showcase our abilities and earn an income. One cannot describe what this opportunity means for us. Thank you, BMW and the YES for Youth programme for your kindness. We hope to be an inspiration for those who come afterward.”
“The YES programme is the most important endowment for the country. Forty percent of YES alumni are employed following the completion of their YES programme. These people work in high-impact, future-facing sectors that prepare them for fast-paced environments and, most importantly, for a better chance at remaining employed and growing their careers.
– said Ravi Naidoo, CEO of YES
“YES, youth in the programme tend to become future professionals and entrepreneurs and can provide a talent pipeline for the ESD and AITF funds. We are thrilled by BMW’s vision of ‘‘we build more than just cars’’. We thank the two BMW Group CEOs here today. The support for this programme from the highest levels of the BMW Group’s operations in South Africa is a testament to the success of the YES programme.”
