The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Human Capital Services (HCS) unit hosted an induction to welcome 48 new interns who are part of the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme. The induction was held on Friday, 3 March 2023 at the DUT Hotel School, Ritson campus. 48 interns were in attendance together with a number of supervisors from different ambits within DUT.

DUT started with the YES programme in 2019, the aim of the YES programme is to provide graduates with 12 months working experience at DUT.

Mr Avhatakali Nenungwi: Director; Organisational Development and Talent Management; DUT Human Capital Services served as the program director of the induction event . In his opening remarks, Mr Nenungwi welcomed the new cohort to the DUT family. He also shed light on what the YES Programme is all about and what the interns should expect during their 12 months at DUT.

Some of the YES Programme interns.

“We are honoured to host you in the 2023 YES Internship Programme, we are responsible for your well-being while you are with us at DUT, and we will be travelling this journey with you. We want to ensure that your stay is comfortable because at the end you will achieve your ultimate objective of gaining independence, skills and competitiveness in this very cruel labour market that we are living in,” he said.

Mr Mxolisi Msomi: Acting Senior Director; Human Capital Services, welcomed the YES interns at DUT, he also detailed how excited the institution is, to host another group of YES interns.

“Today is an exciting day for us, for the second time we are hosting the YES interns. As the university we decided to participate in the programme. Once you have completed your internship, we want you to leave with the related skills and knowledge. This is important to us as we need to empower you with skills,” said Msomi.

Dr Vuyo Mthethwa: Deputy-Vice Chancellor; People & Operations at DUT, shared a welcoming message to the YES interns. She also urged the group to be extra careful on what they post on their social media platforms as this might negatively impact their chances of getting employment.

“Congratulations to all of you for being amongst what I would call a very few to be privileged with this opportunity, grab this opportunity with your wild eyes open, do not abuse this chance, your time will be short as a YES intern. This is the time to get exposure to the world of work. The best skills that you can learn from this experience are communication and time management, while doing that you will gain interpersonal skills and get to understand your own attributes at areas of work that you will enjoy and even those that you would not enjoy,” reiterated Mthethwa.

Dr Clement Moreku: Dean of Students unpacked the different units of his office and urged the YES Interns to be a good example to first year students, and they must take part in the university projects like Green Campus Initiative (GCI), Qhakaza Ladies Network, Insika Men’s Network and Vuna Leadership Academy.

Mr Alan Khan, Senior Director: Corporate Affairs detailed the different services in his office. In his presentation he also gave a warm welcome to the YES cohort and recalled his time as a student at DUT.

“33 years ago, I was a student at this university. I wish there was a YES Programme so that students of my generation could benefit from it, you should be grateful that you have this opportunity despite the challenges of unemployment in our country. The destiny has allowed you to join the YES Programme and destiny will step in to ensure that your career is successful and prosperous for you and your loved ones. However, there is a lot of hard work that comes along the way, which is also based on your guidance of principles, we hope they are aligned to the ENVISION2030 values and principles,” said Khan.

Ms Zinhle Madela: Administrative Assistant; Human Capital Services, shared her journey from being an intern into securing a permanent job at DUT.

“I believe that good behaviour is important in the workplace, I urge interns to respect the workplace, colleagues, and their supervisors,” said Madela.

Pictured: Mr Avhatakali Nenungwi: Director; Organizational Development and Talent Management.

Photographer: Khulasande Tshayile

Lethukuthula Sifiso Ngubane.