Apart from various education and training projects, it has now created an integrated solution for skills development, in cooperation with the Northlink TVET College in the Western Cape, by establishing the first Shoprite simulation store at the college's Parow campus.
The college offers vocational and occupational training and the simulation store will assist with the work-integrated learning component of these curricula that have a retail focus or specialisation. The simulation store is a mini Shoprite supermarket with service departments and stocked with merchandise, in a learning-friendly environment. It will provide learners with the necessary exposure and practical experience in retail operations to complete their vocational retail training.
According to Statistics South Africa, latest labour force data the unemployment rate in the 15 to 24 years age group is 65.4%. This is considerably higher than the general unemployment rate of 25.4%.
The group focuses strongly on vocational and occupational training to create opportunities for young people to obtain a qualification and acquire the necessary skills for employment. The unemployment rate and education are inversely related. People with tertiary education are more likely to be employed than those with lower levels of education are.
As one of the largest contributors to skills development in South Africa, not only in terms of money spent, but also in terms of its dedication to and passion for the development and upliftment of its entire workforce as well as unemployed young people in the country, it believes that the education is of utmost importance for the social upliftment, economic growth and the prosperity of future generations.
