Why we should nurture young talent in SA's mining industry

Intern, Shirley Mbazima with UAS HR manager, Thamie Nyoni and operations manager, Sidney Sephoka

“We have a generation of young people leaving university with a vision for success and they are aware that real-time, hands-on experience is a must for their own personal growth and their career development plan,” explains Thamie Nyoni, HR officer for Umzamo Analytical Services (UAS). “However, through research and experience, we know that our local mining and mining services industry does not have enough experiential learning programmes to answer the pressing needs of the student, nor the demands of the industry.”

Nyoni believes that for South Africa’s mining sector to flourish and to remain attractive in terms of career choice, graduate and internship programmes should be increased and that these must be structured to create a rich learning environment with strong full-time employment opportunities at the forefront. He goes on to explain how local firms can use sustainable internships to ensure that more efficient and experienced professionals enter the mining sector with a strong career foundation and a bright future.

Establish a platform

Instituting a structured graduate internship programme will help attract the best and brightest young individuals to your company.

“Through internships, students develop work-based skills and their knowledge is enhanced through an experience that broadens their understanding of work as it applies to their area of study,” says Nyoni.

Recruit selectively

Nyoni advises recruiting interns who are self-driven and goal oriented. Interview them and select the best, which, in his opinion are those who show the willingness to learn.

“Interns bring new blood into an organisation, which means new ideas and innovativeness. Therefore as an organisation, we use that to our advantage by building up on their inexperience as opposed to hiring experienced individuals who may bring with them bad habits that may compromise our quality of service,” says Nyoni. As difficult and tedious a process as recruitment may be, Nyoni says that firms will see the fruits thereof in the long run.

Institute meaningful learning programmes

Sustainable internships make getting hold of real business world experience more accessible to more students. It is important that companies have set procedures and structures in place to ensure that interns are learning something meaningful such as job specific tasks and dealing with clients.

Recognise and reward hard work

Companies should make an effort to recognise and reward hard work among interns and entry-level graduates. Higher salaries come as an incentive to interns who are proactive, display proficiency across multiple disciplines and show a greater level of commitment to their work. “

Nyoni concludes by encouraging firms to try internship programmes. “If in the past, organisational complexity and the unknown have been a deterrent, you may find that interns can contribute significantly to your daily activities. It seems that more firms engage on an educational level by donating money for bursaries, but students need assistance after graduating as well – especially given the current job market.

“One is not enough without the other. Education and experience; there is a reason they are the first two titles on a resume.”