KARIEGA – Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to youth empowerment and economic inclusion with the induction of 540 young South Africans into the 2025 Youth Employment Service (YES) programme. This marks the company’s seventh consecutive year of participation in the government-led initiative to combat youth unemployment.
The YES programme, introduced in 2019, aims to create meaningful work opportunities for South Africa’s unemployed youth, enabling them to gain crucial workplace experience. Since its launch, VWGA has been a steadfast supporter of the initiative, offering structured employment and skills development across its operations, dealer networks, and small business partners.
Of the 540 candidates welcomed into the 2025 cohort, 296 will be embedded directly within VWGA’s operations—232 in Kariega, 62 in Gauteng, and two in the Western Cape—while a further 244 will begin their journey with VWGA’s network of external partners from October. These placements are carefully designed to expose trainees to real-world business environments, nurturing their potential and equipping them with critical professional competencies.
This year’s intake brings the total number of beneficiaries from VWGA’s YES programme involvement to an impressive 3 650 youth—each having received the opportunity to step into the formal job market and build a foundation for long-term employment.
Nonkqubela Maliza, VWGA’s Director of Corporate and Government Affairs, reaffirmed the company’s vision for sustainable impact through youth development. “We know that today’s youth will be tomorrow’s leaders, but we also believe in playing an active role in developing those leaders and innovators,” she said. “Through our participation in the YES programme, we want to offer youth the space to become economically active and gain invaluable skills on which they can build successful and fulfilling careers.”
VWGA’s ongoing participation in the YES programme underscores its broader commitment to inclusive growth and long-term transformation in South Africa. By investing in the country’s youth, the company is not only fulfilling its social responsibility but also cultivating a new generation of skilled talent ready to shape the future.
As the 2025 YES trainees embark on this pivotal journey, VWGA’s investment in their potential serves as a powerful reminder of the role that industry can—and must—play in addressing South Africa’s most pressing socio-economic challenges.
