Young Professionals Thriving Through the Flagship Internship Programme

Gqeberha, South Africa, 23 June 2022 – the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) remains a beacon in championing socio-economic development and targeting the youth through its flagship Internship Programme.

The programme, targeting young graduates seeks to implore a combination of competencies on graduates to gain real-world and practical work experience, expand knowledge, and determine if they are in the right career field. The Coega Internship Programme has grown through leaps and bounds with a footprint across the entire country where the CDC operates.

In the 2021/22 financial year, the CDC enrolled 86 interns in its internship program, with 28 interns from 2021 and a further 58 new graduates enrolled in the commencement of 2022, with a total number of 140 interns up to date.

“CDC plays an important role in the development of young individuals in the Eastern Cape and throughout the country by initiating the internship programme targeted at positioning aspiring interns for employment in the corporate world,” said Ntombozuko Mbuzwana, CDC’s Performance Management Monitoring Officer.

Many graduates have gone through the programme since its inception, and the internship programme contributes positively towards skills development and job creation for the unemployed youth, thereby improving their chances of attaining employment in a highly competitive labour market.

“Working at the CDC as an intern has enhanced my ability to communicate effectively, my skills have improved, and I can now work without direct supervision, because the CDC does not limit a persons professional exposure. I am also gaining experience in my future career ambitions while also learning about other career fields, and for that I am grateful to CDC,” says Sisipho Mayo a CDC Intern in Infrastructure Planning.

CDC does not only focus on training interns to be highly skilled, but also offers short-course programs that allow interns to choose the program they want to learn. I also went to NOSA College and finished the SHE Representative and First Aider Level 1 courses, and I am now a SHE Representative and First Aider at my workplace, adds Mayo.

Another young professional, also part of the programme, Zisanda Kholiwe an Internal Audit Intern, concluded by highlighting the Coega internship programme is providing me with great opportunities. "The CDC Internship helped me in obtaining a learners license with the assistance of a driving facilitator. I am now a licensed driver, and I am fortunate for the opportunity because it will enable me to apply for jobs that require a code B drivers license as it improved my employment prospects.”