IIE's Graduate Empowerment Programme

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The IIE’s Rosebank College Pretoria CBD campus, hosts its second annual Entrepreneurship and Innovation Workshop on early Thursday as part of the Graduate Empowerment Programme (GEP, to assist young people access information and contacts.

The Graduate Empowerment Programme is aimed at helping final year students, get access to opportunities, to network, and acquire information they can use in their field of study. The workshop also invites different organisations and institutions equipped with expertise of the labour market, such as Elite Career Solutions, NYDA, Department of Labour, Sanlam, Lale Communications and others.

Among the featured topics, the workshop has most emphasis on becoming a successful entrepreneur, finding and starting your niche, types of businesses including online presence, creating a winning business plan that attracts investments, networking, marketing a business, and career opportunities.

“We are hosting the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Workshop for the second time” says GEP National Operation Officer, Lebo Mmekwa. The GEP has been in existence for the past 11 years, and since its commencement in 2012 it has placed over 15 000 graduates into employment, she further stated.

Various speakers from various banks, one from SARS, CSIR, and the Department of Labour, also shared their expertise, advising young people on the best course forward financially,  and stretching the importance of being tax and labour law compliant.

Rosebank College is expected to host the last part of its 2023 programme, on the 22nd of September, which will be a career expo. The programme will take place again the following year.