Heineken SA upskills 20 learners in their Packaging Learnership Programme

The learnership was launched in April 2018, with the aim of strengthening the skillset of the company’s talent. Some of the objectives of the programme is to fortify the brewing giant’s future talent pool and recruit talent from the local university.

Packaging is done at HSA’s state-of-the-art brewery in Sedibeng, Midvaal, where the company brews a large portfolio of premium and mainstream brands including Heineken, Windhoek, Miller Genuine Draft, Sol, Amstel and their cider Strongbow. The facility recently reached an output capacity milestone of five million hectolitres.

Eight existing Heineken employees were selected for the programme, along with learners enrolled at the Vaal University of Technology, which is in close proximity to the brewery. As part of ensuring transformation in what is understood to be a male-dominated industry, 15 women were selected for the learnership.

“It important that the programme reflects women’s potential capabilities and contribution in the industry,” says Supply Chain Academy Manager at HSA, Thandie Letshabo.

The learners were taken through a series of assessments to gauge their capabilities and technical aptitude, before the final selection was made.

“Through the Packaging Learnership, these learners will obtain the skills and attributes that will make them employable in other brewery roles that may become vacant after successful completion of the training,” says Letshabo.

According to Letshabo, one of the key benefits of an internal learnership programme is that from the outset, the learners get acquainted with HSA’s internal systems and processes – essentially “the Heineken way of doing things”.

“Exposing the learners to both theoretical and practical on-the-job training early on, translates to agile future employees who are skilled, and prepared for most challenges in their chosen career paths,” concludes Letshabo.