Standard Bank has launched a new virtual internship programme to help students gain practical skills and experience that mirrors the work they will do in the world of banking.
The bank said the online internships will provide access to critical components of workplace experience by way of content, case studies and assessments. There are no due dates for the programmes, registration is free for students, and they are open to all.
“The first self-paced programmes, which only take roughly five hours to complete, offer video-guided training for skills in job searching, business communication and networking, personal branding, interview preparation, and more. Once completed successfully, students then receive certificates that they can add to their resumes.
“From August, students will also be able to enrol in programmes covering retail and investment banking, software development, engineering, and data science,” it said.
Data from Statistics South Africa shows that as many as 51.6% of the 7.9 million unemployed persons had education levels below matric. With 6.5 million unemployed youth (individuals aged between 16 and 35), youth unemployment clearly remains one of South Africa’s most pressing socio-economic challenges.
Only 35% of youth who seek formal employment opportunities are able to be absorbed into sustainable job opportunities.
“Many young individuals take up opportunities without a clear understanding of the industry or what skills their jobs will require, and the Virtual Experience Programmes aim to bridge this gap between education and industry,” said Maymoona Ismail, head of youth development at Standard Bank South Africa.
Standard Bank said the online internships are aimed at providing a virtual experience that equips them with skills to become more employable.
The list of programmes include:
- Accessing Work Opportunities (Live)
- Getting Ready for the World of Work (Live)
- Retail Banking (Live in August)
- Investment Banking (Live in August)
- Software Development (Live in August)
- Engineering (Live in August)
- Data Science (Live in August)
You can register and find the full list of programmes here.
Yibanathi Nhlakanipho has 6 years experience writing and curating verified entry-level jobs, internships, bursaries and career resources for South African youth. Every month, her articles on Scholarly Africa reach at least 1 million job-seekers.
