Impala Rustenburg’s innovative and invaluable mobile Career Expo returned this year, showcasing a wide range of career opportunities in the mining industry to 6 500 youth in grades 9 and 11 throughout May 2022.
This is the second Impala Career Expo in a two-year cycle, bringing the total number of high school learners reached to 12 200. The Career Expo 2022 visited 14 high schools in nine villages in the mining community, all of which are supported by Impala Rustenburg, including:
Sunrise Park: Sunrise View Secondary School
Meriting: Meriti Secondary School
Kanana: Sekete IV and Matsukubyane secondary schools
Freedom Park: Platinum Village and Freedom Park secondary schools
Oos Einde: Hoërskool Grenswag
Luka: Molotlegi and Thethe secondary schools
Phokeng: Keledi, Matale, and Bafokeng secondary schools
Chaneng: Charora High School
Tsitsing: Mmanape High School
The mobile Expo targeted learners in Grade 9 to provide subject choice guidance for Grade 10, and in Grade 11 to assist in career planning.
The Expo programme educated and equipped learners with information about what they can look forward to if they opt for a career in the mining industry with Impala Rustenburg or another mining company.
Mark Munroe, Impala Rustenburg’s CE, says the Career Expo is directly in line with the mining company’s goal to inspire young people to reach their full potential and build a better future for Rustenburg, as well as with government’s aims for Youth Month 2022 to bring more young people into the economy through youth development and empowerment programmes.
Principal Mabel Mutle, head of Charora High School in Chaneng, was delighted at the impact the Career Expo had on her learners. “We have not had a career expo at this school before and I was very impressed. It made a big difference to our learners, it motivated them to rethink their future and gave them hope for a successful career.
“We could see an immediate and holistic impact in the learners’ responses – the library became very busy as some of them started researching additional information on their career choices, some were so keen to hear the presentation for a second time that they tried to bunk their classes to go back, some adjusted their approach to their subject choices to be sure to be in a position to start their chosen career, and all of them were very inspired by what they learnt. I cannot thank Impala Rustenburg enough for this excellent expo, which was hosted by a very tactful and knowledgeable tutor who engaged the learners and listened to them.”
Principal Mutle, who has been at the school for 13 years, first as a teacher, then deputy head, before taking over as principal, says the school is now considering additional career events, “and we would welcome Impala Rustenburg’s involvement.”
Munroe adds that Impala Rustenburg’s School Support Programme embraces a far-reaching approach with key objectives that include addressing identified learning gaps; supporting teachers and contributing to their competence and knowledge; providing infrastructure, facilities and teaching aids for schools; and providing career guidance and leadership development for high school learners.
Impala’s post-school youth development initiatives include on-the-job training for some entry-level jobs, graduate internships across a wide range of disciplines, learnerships, cadet programmes that develop critical mining skills, and a comprehensive bursary programme that funds university education for matriculants.
