- 11 Retail-savvy students graduated from Mr Price Foundation’s JumpStart Professional Retail Programme on 29 November.
- The highly sought after post-graduate programme equips grads for junior positions in specialised retail areas.
- Students gain practical experience and apply theoretical knowledge in a business environment.
After a nine-month “pressure cooker”, 11 savvy students graduated from Mr Price Foundation’s JumpStart Professional Retail Programme (PRP) on 29 November.
The PRP Class of 2023 accepted their certificates with dances of joy at Fairway Guest House, Durban North – and are now strong candidates for junior positions in specialised retail areas.
The PRP is often described as a “pressure-cooker”, as students are fully immersed into the retail and manufacturing value chains.
Practical work experience is invaluable when building skills and expertise, and the graduates spend five months in the workplace gaining practical experience and applying their classroom learnings into real life situations.
“This programme has given us access to so many opportunities. To all the mothers out there, I now understand how long nine months is, as that is how long we have been birthing our careers,” said PRP graduate Andile Mkhwanazi.
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This is the seventh cohort of students to complete the PRP, which is funded by Mr Price Foundation. Three students received special recognition at the graduation. Nhlanhla Hlengwa from Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal was top of the class, winning the Cutting Edge award. Mphoentle Molapho from Soweto in Gauteng won Best Fit award; and Renaleone Mokakale from Taung in the North West bagged the Hang In There award.
Rejuvenate SA founder and guest speaker Travis Warwick-Oliver (left) and Head of JumpStart Yurissa Sawers (right) with the top three PRP students (from left): Nhlanhla Hlengwa (Cutting Edge award), Mphoentle Molapho (Best Fit award) and Renaleone Mokakale (Hang In There award). © Pierre Tostee / Mr Price Foundation
Karen Wells, Head of Mr Price Foundation, congratulated the graduates and urged them to continue developing their professional skills. “Celebrate your achievements but don’t stop here. Keep applying the knowledge you have gained and keep building your skills to stay relevant to the industry,” said Karen.
Karen thanked the Foundation’s retail and supplier partners for opening their businesses to host students and impart knowledge.
“As part of their practical experience, students had to complete a Business Improvement Project where they applied their theoretical knowledge into the business environment. Some of their ideas have already been applied to the businesses,” said Karen.
Guest speaker Travis Warwick-Oliver, founder of the non-profit organisation Rejuvenate SA, delivered an inspirational speech.
“If you tackle things head down, you will succeed. Well done on the nine months you endured as nothing in life comes easy,” said Travis, a 30-year-old amputee from Pietermaritzburg.
2024 PRP applications are open!
Applications are open for the 2024 JumpStart Professional Retail Programme. Apply today if you are a South African aged 18 to 33, with no criminal record, and hold a qualification in any of the following: Interior Design * Fashion * Operations Management * Logistics * Supply Chain * Shipping * Project Management.
