Tue Jan 26 14:02:00 UTC 2016
Thousands of the 455 753 matric learners qualifying for admission to tertiary institutions this year are in dire need of financial support in order to access one of the various post-school system opportunities available to them. Prospective students can look to the Shoprite Group, who still has approximately R8 million available for financial assistance from their extensive bursary programme.
Bursaries are awarded for scarce skills programmes such as Pharmacy and Chartered Accounting, along with qualifications such as Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Information Technology, Industrial Engineering, Hospitality, Retail Business Management and Marketing.
With limited space available at tertiary institutions, prospective students who achieved an average of more than 70% in matric, are urged to apply for one of the remaining bursaries by clicking here or contacting their training institution’s bursary office for assistance.
Candidates may qualify for a bursary of up to R70 000 per annum which allows for registration fees, tuition, textbook and accommodation fees depending on the course of study and institution. Each bursary granted is linked to a work back agreement with Shoprite and in this way a bursary holder is assured of career prospects with South Africa’s largest private sector employer.
On successful completion of their studies, pharmacy students have employment opportunities within one of Shoprite’s 159 MediRite pharmacies throughout South Africa and the Group’s trainee management programme will aid retail business and hospitality management graduates in preparing them to become store managers.
Chartered Accountant (CA) field candidates can be placed within Shoprite’s South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) approved CA training programme to complete their internship as article clerks. The Logistics and Industrial Engineering graduates programme train managers for positions within one of the Group’s 20 distribution centres, whilst the IT and Marketing Trainee programmes assist graduates to gain the necessary specialised workplace experience.
The Shoprite Group recognises the enormous value of investing in opportunities for young people to obtain a qualification and acquire the necessary skills for gainful employment. A consistent employment generator, the Shoprite Group currently employs more than 136 000 people with 3134 jobs created during the last six months alone.
By providing bursaries to qualifying students, as well as educational loans and grants to its employees and their dependents, Shoprite aids and strengthens economic security and social welfare in the communities within which it trades.
The Group has already awarded 193 tertiary study bursaries to deserving candidates for the 2016 academic year.
Additional facts on Shoprite’s educational assistance:
Bursaries
In 2015, the Shoprite Group awarded bursaries to the value of almost R18 million, enabling over 310 students to equip themselves with the skills and qualifications to become future contributors of a strengthened economy.
The Group have awarded more than 2500 bursaries over the past 20 years of its extensive bursary programme, 70% of which was allocated in the past five (5) years alone as the need for student financial support became greater.
Shoprite Simulation stores
The first Shoprite simulation store opened at Northlink College’s Parow Campus in January 2015. As an integrated solution for skills development in cooperation with the TVET Colleges, two more such simulation stores are earmarked to open at Motheo College (Bloemfontein) and Boland College (Worcester) in February 2016.
Class of 2016 school programme
Shoprite stores have been sponsoring school fees for hundreds of learners across South Africa for the past 10 years through its annual ‘Class Of’ competition. In 2016 every one of Shoprite’s 420 South African stores will again provide one learner with free education for a full year through this programme. Entrants have to write a short essay or draw a picture, depicting what they want to be when they grow up. Entry forms are available in Shoprite stores and the competition closes on Sunday, 31 January 2016, following which each Shoprite store in the country will pick one winner by way of a random draw.