Foschini Group offers practical skills to the unemployed

20 May 2013

The Feel Good Project's primary objective is to offer unemployed South Africans the practical skills and experience that can secure them a job and a successful career in retail. Indeed, close to 70% of trainees graduating from the programme since its inception four years ago have secured full-time employment at TFG and other South African retailers.

Tamara Sithole (23), a recent graduate, lives with her mother and her four-year-old son in Makhaya, Khayelitsha. Sithole is now employed as a sales associate at TFG's Foschini store in Bayside Mall, Table View. "My goals are to be the best mum to my son and to excel far beyond being a sales associate. I believe I will continue to grow within TFG," said Sithole. "Never give up on your dreams and don't forget where you come from," is her advice to others who want to better their circumstances.

Strong partnership

The project is run in partnership with Learn to Earn, an established non-profit organisation with training facilities in Khayelitsha and Hermanus. William Bent, project manager of The Feel Good Store said: "The ongoing success of The Feel Good Project is a direct result of the strong partnership between TFG and Learn to Earn. Together, we confront the unemployment challenge through skills programmes run in The Feel Good stores, a sewing repair centre and warehouse. Our trainees are excited about the prospect of entering formal employment, so that they can apply the skills and knowledge they work very hard to gain."

The new facility, to be opened on 23 May, 2013, will significantly increase the project's training capacity. "To date, we have run two training intakes each year. With the new facilities in Khayalitsha - a second store, an additional warehouse and a brand new and bigger repair centre - we are committed to increasing the number of graduates each year and impacting the lives of many more South Africans in years to come," said Colleen Carstens, human resources manager for CSI of TFG.