Mr Price Foundation's JumpStart Retail Essentials Programme debuts in Western Cape

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The six-month REP blends 30% classroom learning with 70% workplace experience, equipping interns with the essential skills needed to become supervisors in a retail store environment.

This year marks the debut of the REP in the Western Cape. Participants engage in theoretical learning covering critical topics such as Store Location, Customer Focus, Marketing, and Merchandising.

This is complemented by a robust six-month work placement, allowing real-world application of their skills.

This blended learning approach provides an excellent foundation for youth to springboard their entry into supervisory-level positions in retail stores.

As a capstone to the REP programme, interns undertake a final assignment where they propose innovative business solutions based on their store experiences. They showcase these projects to a panel of employer partners participating in the programme.

“The launch of our JumpStart Retail Essentials Programme in the Western Cape signals our intent to accelerate and deepen our youth empowerment efforts in that region,” said Mr Price Foundation executive director Octavius Phukubye.

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All the graduates – from Philippi, Delft, Maitland, Worcester and Muizenburg – gained invaluable skills and experience and have already been placed in permanent employment.

“We encourage graduates to use their new opportunity to jumpstart their lives through their retail careers. We want many more young Black youth to be included in the growth of this sector, primarily in retail and its value chain,” added Phukubye.

The REP started with 16 candidates but nine dropped out for various reasons, such as securing early permanent employment, and/or pursuing further studies.

“The dropout rate highlights the challenge of sourcing retail talent in the Western Cape, where retailers often struggle to fill vacancies for supervisory positions. This is despite the Western Cape’s youth unemployment rate of 31.2%,” said Yurissa Sawers, JumpStart programme manager.

“A key takeaway from this experience is the need for more rigorous recruitment to ensure that the beneficiaries we select align closely with our goal of fostering a career in retail. We should also be stricter about recruiting from areas close to demand to limit challenges relating to transportation,” Sawers added.

In their showcase assignment, the seven graduates presented compelling topics that addressed technological advancements, visual merchandising, and store accessibility. These presentations not only highlight their knowledge but also demonstrate their capacity to effect meaningful change in the retail environment.

Feedback on the programme in Cape Town has been overwhelmingly positive, with store managers expressing a desire to hire more REP interns, reinforcing JumpStart’s commitment to train based on demand from the industry.

REP graduate Hlengiwe Mthombeni from KwaZulu-Natal moved to Cape Town in search of employment opportunities in November 2023.

“Participating in the six-month JumpStart internship has been the greatest opportunity of my life,” said Mthombeni. “It has given me a greater understanding of the world of retail in different store departments and environments. The REP equipped us with valuable skills, knowledge and networks. We are now ready to apply them in the retail environment.”

The REP is one of a suite of JumpStart skills development programmes across the retail and manufacturing value chain, made freely available to matriculants and post-graduates.

JumpStart works closely with employer partners, including Mr Price Group, SPAR Group and a network of leading retailers to ensure programmes keep pace with market demand.

Mr Price Foundation invested over R400,000 in this REP pilot in the Western Cape, with interns receiving total stipends of R230,000. It plans to scale up the programme to reach more unemployed youth nationwide in 2025.

Mr Price Foundation said it was eager to deepen its impact by forging new partnerships in retail and beyond.

“JumpStart is our flagship skills development progamme. Mr Price Foundation invested over R25 million in JumpStart in FY2024. We acknowledge that can’t solve youth unemployment and bridge skills gaps alone. Expanding learning and work opportunities to more youth requires purpose-driven partnerships with both the private and public sectors,” Phukubye noted.