Bursary Programme Despite the challenges of the past two years, the PPS Foundation Bursary Programme remained firm in its mission to support students and bursary payments were reliably made to beneficiaries at the beginning of each semester. In total, 78 bursaries were funded in the last year alone. Bursaries are awarded to full-time public university students with a bias towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Awards are based on financial need and academic record. They are comprehensive in scope, covering tuition, meals, accommodation, data and laptops where requested. University Support Programme Requests for assistance are accepted from public tertiary education institutions. The projects for which they are seeking funding have a direct and positive impact on the teaching and learning experience for students. In 2021, we supported five universities with funding, ranging from the upgrading of an optometry lab to assisting in funding digital devices for students. One such project was when we supported the University of Cape Town financially following fire damage to its library in April. LEAP Work Readiness Programme LEAP is an acronym for Learned, Engaged, Accelerated Professionals, and this work readiness programme assists graduates to make the transition from tertiary education to the workplace. It provides professional development workshops on topics such as personal branding, communication skills, presentation skills, CV writing, interview preparation and financial wellness. It is delivered on request to all of the country’s universities. With the country opening up and certain academic institutions conducting some classes on campus, many LEAP sessions were facilitated using the hybrid approach. More than 500 students attended this programme in 2021. Graduate Internship Development Programme Young and ambitious graduates can apply to participate in a one-year Graduate Internship Development Programme (GIDP) at PPS and, on completion, have the prospect of being offered permanent employment within the PPS Group. The GIDP has been a successful pipeline development programme for PPS. Over the last seven years, it has allowed the organisation to access top young talent, some of whom have grown within the business. The graduate programme supports South Africa’s imperative of reducing youth unemployment by providing recently graduated youth with an opportunity to benefit from comprehensive training, gain valuable work experience and develop their soft skills. All candidates are supervised by a formal mentor throughout the internship. To date, PPS has taken 140 young people through the graduate programme with an average retention rate of 80% over the years. Our commitment to youth development does not end with the GIDP. Staff, younger than 35 years and showing high potential are eligible to participate in our flagship development programme, the Young Leadership Forum (YLF). Each year a cohort of ten young leaders are selected to participate in the programme. The YLF is offered academic enrichment through UNISA’s Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI). This is complemented by a bespoke programme supported by the PPS Academy. The purpose of the YLF is not only to develop young leaders but to also tap into their perspectives to solve business problems. Paying it forward In 2020, the Foundation created a donations platform to broaden its donor base. This safe and easy-to-use portal, which can be accessed at https://ppsfoundation.pps.co.za, allows members, other professionals and the public in general, to donate towards the Foundation’s activities. Donations are encouraged through regular campaigns, such as the Chairman’s Challenge, and all contributions made to the Foundation are tax-deductible. PPS Integrated Report 2021 PPS doing good | 30
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzI4MzY4