Integrated Report 2018

communication and presentation skills, as well

as the development of emotional intelligence and

self-awareness. Multiple facets of financial wellness

such as budgeting, saving and debt management

are also covered by the LEAP programme. It builds

the foundational competencies of

Learned, Engaged

and Accelerated Professionals

. It integrates into the

wider PPS Foundation skills-development network,

ensuring a level of continuity across programmes as

methodologies evolve.

Professionals Connect

The Professionals Connect online portal is the platform

through which the PPS Foundation links graduates

seeking employment, career and industry-specific

information, with professionals established in their

fields. It also enables mentorship that will help the

graduate navigate his or her entry into the working

world. In turn, the portal provides established or retired

professionals with the opportunity to pay their success

forward and make a positive impact on their field’s

next generation. The Professionals Connect database

was used to select certain unemployed graduates for

a six-month mentorship programme (GetReady) that

developed their capabilities. This afforded graduate

participants the opportunity to network and glean

professional insights from the extensive experience of

the mentors to whom they were assigned. Two cohorts

of graduates were inducted into the programme in

2018, and each was awarded a certificate at the end

of their participation.

Employee and Member Volunteerism

During 2018 the PPS Foundation partnered with Rise

Against Hunger Africa to distribute meal packs to

academic institutions facing the daily reality of food

vulnerability. The PPS Foundation also partnered

with the Imbumba Foundation on their #Caring4Girls

initiative. Research has shown that South African girls

in underprivileged communities can miss as many as

50 school days a year as a result of the lack of access

to sanitary towels. Staff contributed sanitary and

hygiene products, which were distributed. In addition,

the PPS Foundation undertook a number of blood

drives in partnership with South African National

Blood Services (SANBS). These initiatives were close

to the hearts of PPS staff. A motivated workforce of

volunteers supported these initiatives through to their

successful ends.

Consumer Financial Education

Financial literacy is sorely lacking in South Africa.

While universities might do a good job of imparting the

necessary knowledge and skills to master a graduate’s

chosen profession, there is generally little to pave the

way to a future of sound financial decisions. The PPS

Foundation facilitated a number of Consumer Financial

Education workshops for students across various

South African universities. These workshops were well

received and sensitised students to the PPS member

value proposition.

PPS DOING GOOD

(continued)

PPS

INTEGRATED REPORT 2018