Porsche to usher in fresh opportunities for disadvantaged youths.

In the tough economic times, not only in the motor industry, but in the country as a whole, it's refreshing to hear of development interests backed by successful corporations. The Rand is weak and the political climate is turbulent at best. The wedge driven between the haves and have-nots is progressively growing into a chasm, with the youth of today bearing the brunt of many ill-formed decisions of the past. Learners and students are feeling the pinch with a future that no longer looks as rosy as it once did before.

Enter Don Bosco Mondo e.V., Don Bosco Salesian Youth Projects (SYIP) and LSM Distributors, importers of Porsche products to South Africa, more commonly known as Porsche SA.

The three parties recently met to sign-off on a memorandum that solidifies, and signifies the official start to a project that will see socially disadvantaged youths afforded the opportunity to learn a skill set that will undoubtedly prove invaluable to their success and futures.

The Porsche After-sales Vocation Education (PAVE) project will train to become Porsche Accredited service and bodywork technicians with employment opportunities in the group upon successful completion of their training. This will provide long-term career opportunities that were previously beyond the scope of these youths.

The project is the second of the sort for Porsche with the first, highly successful implementation of the program took root in Manila, Philippines with over 120 young Filipinos receiving training and careers across the globe, predominantly in the Middle East.

On the back of this success, Don Bosco Mondo and Don Bosco Salesian Youth Projects identified South Africa as the next country to benefit from this program and have now joined forces with LSM Distributors to start implementing the initiative. “Porsche has always been about more that just sales figures and revenue. We are committed to fulfilling our social responsibility in markets throughout the world.” explains Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “Our resoundingly positive experiences in Manila have encouraged us to expand this successful model to South Africa.”

Porsche will assist with the preparations by developing the curricula and examination regulations, training instructors and equipping theoretical and practical lecture ares at SYIP in Cape Town. Porsche SA will act as a central interface with oversight from the local Technical Manager and assist with placement of graduates in Porsche Centers across the country.

The project will be open applications through various channels with young people from disadvantaged social backgrounds able to apply for the program. In a bid to negate any prejudice, three different routes can be taken.

• Applicants who are suitably trained for vocational training can enter the two-year mechatronic training program directly.
• Applicants who do not possess the required qualifications can complete a six to eight week life skills training course before progressing onto the mechatronic training.
• Applicants who are without the basic skills required can also be considered with opportunity to complete a year-long vocational preparation course.
• The program is set to accept up to 50 applicants each year.

Chair of the Porsche AG Group Works Council Uwe Hück believes, “Education is something that concerns us all and must not be a privilege. Nobody is too stupid to get an education, but you have to put in the hard work. We have to take on those who – for whatever reason – appear to stand no chance. It is our task to unlock the potential hidden inside every person, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or the colour of their skin. Porsche has always fostered a social corporate culture and it is an important part of our duty to lead by example and show the way rather than to turn a blind eye.”