Phakamisa invests in our people
Pictured above are the interns who completed the Business Management Course.
Since their establishment in 2007, Phakamisa Hard Rock Mining has committed themselves to upskilling and uplifting their surrounding local communities. Meaning “to lift up” in isiZulu and isiXhosa, Phakamisa is not only dedicated to offering professional mining services but is also passionate about empowering people through job creation.
“Phakamisa is honouring their commitment to upskill their employees and people in the local community. Our vision is to assist in their personal development and ensure they gain job experience so that they can further their own personal careers even beyond Phakamisa,” said Nkosinathi “Nathi” Nkosi, HR and IR Manager.
Phakamisa continues to invest in their people by offering various gratuitous internship programmes and certificate courses. Over the last year, the company ran two internship courses, a Business Management and a Logistics Management course, both of which extended for a period of 12 months.
Such programmes are used as a means to upskill existing Phakamisa employees, some of which are members of the community. The certificate courses were expertly facilitated by an external company who trained and developed the individuals on Phakamisa’s premises. With 14 interns enrolling in these courses, the overall success of the programme was evident from the 100 percent pass rate.
During the 12-month internship period, the students were paid a stipend as they were not actively working for Phakamisa but instead fully dedicated themselves to the internship. After the completion of the courses in May 2021, these individuals were awarded with certificates of achievement.
“This is a great initiative that we are overseeing. We’ve seen the fruits of these kind of programmes and we’re very impressed with the pass rate. The aim is to see people gain the exposure and knowledge they require to enter the job market with confidence. When they go out to look for employment, they’ll have the skills and expertise to hold their own,” Nathi said.
As an integral part of the business, Nathi manages Phakamisa’s internal relations with their employees and maintains good relationships with local communities. He remains eager to seek out promising individuals and to give back to the community.
“We will continue with these courses in the new financial year and will keep an eye out for young, ambitious people from the local community to partake in the programmes that we offer. It doesn’t stop here – this is an ongoing project, and it is a privilege to come alongside those who need a step up in their careers.”