Clicks Group has been recognised as the ‘Best Performing Host Employer’ for Student Placements. The retail pharmacy giant took the top spot at the 2022 TVET College Strategic Industry Partnership Awards, ahead of TFG in second place and Vodacom in third.
The Best Performing Host Employer Award is given to the host employer who placed the most students for Experiential Learning and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) between 2019 and 2021.
Germinah Nyikana, Human Resources Executive at Clicks, said Clicks has partnered with various TVET colleges to provide on the job training to learners. Nyikana has over 20 years of experience in human resources, learning and development, talent management, and transformation from several top JSE-listed retail companies. She started her retail career in 1999 with The Foschini Group. In 2007 she joined the Clicks Group in Group HR, and in 2015 moved to Clicks, where she was responsible for learning and transformation.
In 2018, she joined HomeChoice as the Head of Learning, and in 2020 moved to the Shoprite Group as the Head of Retail Studies and later Talent Solutions. She rejoined Clicks on 1 July 2022 as Human Resources Executive.
“What made us stand out is that our programme is structured. We’ve got certain key points we follow up with each learner. Another thing that sets us apart is how we reward our learners. We give them an entry-level salary,” explained Nyikana.
In the past three years, Clicks has provided learning placements for 1 179 TVET graduates, placing them in different roles across store operations and regional and head office departments. After completing their 18-month internship programme, Clicks provided permanent employment to 433 graduates.
The Best Performing Host Employer Award is given to the host employer who placed the most students for Experiential Learning and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) between 2019 and 2021.
“The WIL programme plays a crucial role in technical and vocational education given that artisans can’t be produced through theory alone and need practical work experience to complement the academic programme and improve their employability,” said Richard Mediroe, Director of Student Development and Support.
The WIL programme is intended to benefit 10,000 unemployed TVET college graduates. Mediroe urged businesses to tackle youth unemployment by strengthening efforts to turn every workplace into a training space.
“We place great value on partnerships such as the one Clicks with TVET Colleges, Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA), and the Department of Higher Education and Training,” says Germinah Nyikana, Clicks HR Executive. “The retail sector, which includes Clicks Group, is one of the largest employers in the country and plays a vital role in job creation given its capacity to provide workplace experience and entry into the job market.”
Besides the WIL programme, Clicks offers a training programme for young people aspiring to become assistant pharmacists. To be eligible to enter, you need to have passed grade 12 and Mathematics.
The programme has a theoretical and practical component. At the end of the training, learners receive an accredited National Qualification Framework qualification.
” We advertise and get aspiring young people in. On average, we take about 200 to 250 of them yearly,” Nyikana said.
