You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without a job. University and school leavers across South Africa face this frustrating predicament, as well as a disheartening tough job market.
The good news is Redefine Properties is solving this dilemma for smart young graduates, and setting their careers in motion to a brighter future.
Redefine Properties is recruiting graduates and school leavers from designated groups fresh out of university and school. It gives bright young stars, who have successfully completed studies in various disciplines such as legal, human resources, internal audit, finance and property related fields, as well as school leavers who may not have the financial means to further their education, the opportunity to gain one year of hands-on business experience with a paid learnership that will give their careers a powerful kick-start.
Redefine’s learnership programme will enter its third successful year in 2015 and has created an exceptional opportunity for promising graduates with their sights set on a career in the country’s exciting and growing listed property sector. Starting with a humble five learners in 2013, the programme grew to 18 learners in 2014 and is expected to expand even further next year.
Renske Coetzee, Redefine’s Head of Human Resources, explains this learnership programme has far-reaching consequences for the graduate, Redefine, the property sector and the economy in general.
Coetzee comments: “South Africa faces a shortage of skills and suitably qualified and experienced individuals. This also impacts the property sector, where we have access to only a small pool of quality employees. Our learnership programme creates an exciting opportunity for youngsters, and it also grows the number of qualified and skilled people entering our sector.”
“We believe our learnerships go a long way to create a better future for South Africa, the property sector and the next generation of business leaders.”
As one of South Africa’s leading and largest JSE-listed property companies, Redefine Properties is in a unique position to have deep and lasting positive impacts on boosting skills in the sector with its learnerships. By creating this opportunity, Redefine is also placing itself in the best position to become home to South Africa’s most promising, skilled graduates.
Half of the learners in this year’s programme have been offered further work contracts with Redefine.
Successful candidates benefit from structured learning which will earn them a recognised qualification in business administration, customised to the property sector and Redefine. They’ll also get practical, on-the-job training in all facets of property management and be managed, coached and buddied by Redefine’s experienced employees and managers.
The sought-after learnership opportunities contribute to Redefine’s positive impact on society and sustainability.
“At Redefine, we’re people, not landlords and this sustainable human resources initiative furthers this position,” says Coetzee. “We’re real people who want to add value to our clients, our youth, our communities and our industry and we strive to be a preferred employer. We are committed to social responsibility and positive growth in all sectors in our society.”
Redefine Properties is a component of the JSE Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Index for its commitment to environment, society, governance, sustainability and climate change. It also debuted on the Dow Jones Emerging Market Sustainability Index in September 2014.
