Enterprises University of Pretoria (Enterprises UP) recently hosted 10 Grade 10 to 12 girl learners from Phelindaba High School in Atteridgeville, accompanied by their Life Orientation teacher, Tebogo Mohlala as part of the annual Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day® initiative.

The young learners were each assigned a mentor with whom they spent a portion of the day, learning about the different occupation possibilities ranging from software development to journalism.

The learners started off their day with a warm welcome by Enterprises UP’s CEO, Deon Herbst and the executive management team. The learners further experienced a day in the workplace, exposing them to the different career paths available to them, including vocational paths that they may have never explored before. Among their activities for the day was a tour of the University of Pretoria as well as the Tuks FM studios. The tours led to some interest from the learners who were inspired to dream beyond their gender-specific careers by exploring new and exciting career possibilities.

Simphiwe, a Grade 10 learner who had been hoping to get into a career in journalism showed a particularly enterprising spirit. Her ultimate ambition was to become a freelance journalist. ‘My idea of the career I was hoping to follow, and the reality, were two different things. I have learned that I will have to put in a lot of work to get to where I want to be,’ said Simphiwe.

Speaking about the overall experience, Ms Mohlala was especially happy that her students had the opportunity to see day-to-day operations in the workplace. ‘I think the face-to-face sessions and interaction with mentors was the most important part of the day. We are limited in what we can expose students to and it is great for them to be able to get all of their job-specific questions answered. The tour to the University was especially exciting for the Grade 12 learners who are set to begin their tertiary studies next year,’ she explained.

To end their eventful day, Mr Herbst presented the learners with certificates and encouraged them to ‘grow to become responsible young women who make a positive contribution to our society and economy’.

Visit the following links for more information on CSI and enterprise development projects or the wide range of short courses and research and advisory services that are offered by Enterprises UP.