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SARB Economics Winter School

Executive Summary:
The SARB Economics Winter School hosted by the Economic Research Department (ERD) in collaboration with HR and the SARB Academy was held in July for postgraduate economics students. It was a week-long training programme for postgraduate economics students. This in-person experience gave students access to local and international best thinking around the theme of Climate Change and Central banking. It was an opportunity for students to showcase their passion and skills through team activities and debates, and immersed themselves into the SARB culture and ERD department specifically.

Further information:
The intention of the experience was to create awareness of SARB as a preferred employer and identify potential recruitment candidates in support of our critical skills pipeline. “The aim of the SARB Winter School is to increase awareness around important central bank issues, provide high quality training and create a platform for the Reserve Bank to engage with South Africa’s best postgrad students”. Konstantin Makrelov (Lead Economist, Economic Research Department)

30 top students were assessed and selected out of over 170 applications from universities across South Africa. The students were given exposure to a broad variety of key issues related to climate change, and to a wide range of expert perspectives on these issues.

Dr Chantal Naidoo, Executive Director and Founder of Rabia Transitions Initiatives, introduced the students to the climate change challenges facing South Africa and the continent; Dr Monique Reid, Lead Economist in SARB’s Economic Research Department Climate discussed the implications of climate change for monetary policy; Dr Nicola Ranger, Executive Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Systemic Resilience, and Leader of the Resilience and International Development Group at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford guided the students through the financial stability implications of climate change; Gireesh Shrimali, Head of Transition Finance Research at the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group looked at the success and impact of green financial instruments; and Dr Christopher Trisos, Senior Researcher at the African Climate & Development Initiative and Director of Climate Risk Lab, provided insight into the findings from the most recent IPCC report being a lead author of the report.

Panel discussions allowed the students to see the industry experts engage with one another on the various issues raised in the presentations as well as pose questions. Students also had a special opportunity to engage with several key SARB representatives about what a career at the SARB offers. Apart from personal interactions with the SARB team including the SARB HRBPs during lunches and during the formal dinner evening, formal activities included a welcome address by the head of HR Department, Ntebo Kgoroba; an address by Deputy Govenor Fundi Tshazibana; an overview of the role and mandate of the SARB by Nimrod Lidovho from the Executive Management Department; an introduction to the SARB connect program by Larry Cooke, Lead Legal Council in the Legal services Department; and an in-depth look at opportunities within the SARB by Zani Mashini the Divisional Head of the Centres of Excellence, and Professor Lukhele, L&D consultant from the SARB Academy.

The students also heard from Bafundi Maronoti and Thuli Radebe about their career journeys and experiences at the SARB as well as ‘a day in the life of an economist at SARB’ from Chloe Allison. The students expressed sincere appreciation of the opportunity to have these discussions. The overall programme was facilitated by two senior economists from the Economics Research Department.

The students were then given an opportunity to showcase their learning and step into our shoes as policy makers through team debates that explored the role of central banks in tackling climate change. There were many passionate and heated conversations, and the debates ending on a positive note with the winning team re-affirming our hope that technological innovation can save us from the worst of climate change. The winners were celebrated in a formal prize-giving ceremony on Friday which was attended by executive/senior members of the bank to recognise their momentous achievement.

The week was an incredible success with student feedback as follows:

I really had a great time, great experiences, great networking. Lifetime memories. Most importantly the hospitality and welcoming atmosphere in and around the SARB – Mcabangomuhle Zulu

The most thing that I found to be valuable during the Winter School was the passion that the SARB Employees demonstrated in providing and equipping us with the knowledge to excel in our careers as future economists. The effort that was placed in organizing the event was so perfect, including the incredible speakers from across the world that provided with insight on Climate change and the role of central banks in this role. There’s just so much that I enjoyed about the programme and to deliver my sincerest appreciation to all the SARB employees in devoting their time to equip us with all the knowledge – Faith Matlhatsi Mondalawa

Getting a chance to engage with the deputy governor, local and international experts, practitioners, and peers, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing on climate change-related topics specific to central banks – Boitumelo Masia

Everyone has a role to play in climate change and central banks are working on ways to tackle the climate change impact. Climate change impacts different stakeholders and everyone should assume a role. I have learnt some presentation skills as being part of the debate team and the value of public speaking. Being around like-minded people who are eager to learn and eager to experience the SARB was wonderful even getting a clearer view of what the SARB does and it’s employees on a regular basis – Omphemetse Makabe

This was my first time outside KZN, thank reserve bank for making it possible for disadvantaged communities to participate in your programs. You’re an inspiring institution, my future employer… – Simiso Vukani Gumede

One of a kind experience. Thank you so much for allow me to be a part of the winter school. Definitely would recommend fellow students to apply for the 2024 one! – Thapelo Bopape

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Internship / Best Work Experience Award

The Mazars Vacation Programme is offered to students pursuing a SAICA-accredited qualification, whose aim is to complete their training and qualify as a Chartered Accountant. We recognise that selecting a future employer is a huge and important decision, thus we aim to allow those considering Mazars as a prospective employer, to make an informed decision.

The programme is designed to be both informative and fun; students will be challenged yet supported throughout this learning journey. It provides a good networking opportunity for students to engage with professionals in the industry and students from other universities. We offer two vacation programmes, in July and November/December respectively, each for a duration of one week. We had various members of the firm facilitating and presenting sessions, including representatives from HR and Learning and Development, Partners, Audit Managers, Seniors and Trainees. In addition, students are allocated to an audit team for two days in the programme, to allow them to gain exposure to ‘a day in the life of an auditor’. The students also participate in a group work activity and present their presentation to a panel of Partners, which is a challenging yet rewarding experience. The students received a stipend for their attendance of each day of the programme, and lunch daily.

The vacation programme was implemented as part of our recruitment strategy to identify talent and to provide students the opportunity to find out more about our culture, our people and the work we do.

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Internship/Best Work Experience Award

The University of Pretoria acknowledges internships and learnerships as mechanisms for curriculum development, strengthening the pipelines for opportunities and providing work experience to youth during or after completion of a qualification at a South African tertiary institution. After extended consultation with various stakeholders, the Internship Programme policy procedures and/or associated guidelines were approved by the Human Resources Committee of Council.

Furthermore, internships and learnership will serve as a talent pipeline for opportunities for entry-level roles and incrementally build towards more strategic roles in a medium to long-term period.

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Internship / Best Work Experience Award

Bain & Company’s Associate Consultant Internship experience has been consistently recognized as a world-class and fully immersive programme targeted specifically at young, high-potential consulting talent. Bain & Company has taken specific actions in the past year to make the sought-after South African internship experience for 2022/2023 even better! With 1,000+ graduate applications annually and a consistent Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 100%, we are enormously proud of the impact this programme has on the brightest and most dynamic students from across South Africa. As one of our recent interns put it, “The programme adds more value to your personal and professional development than any other vacation work programme I have done or heard about…You are truly exposed [to] how your life would look if you were to pursue consulting as a career.”

Our 2023 entry for SAGEA’s Best Internship / Work Experience award outlines our approach to giving interns a meaningful and transformative work experience. The programme is much more than a vacation programme – interns are an integral part of the firm and are given opportunities to learn, grow personally & professionally, and contribute to real-life business problems. The experience provides interns with hands-on project roles (with carefully carved-out workstreams), and a system of mentors, supervisors, and “buddies” (who help interns bring their best and most authentic selves to work each day). Candidates who demonstrate strong talent and commitment to working to solve some of South Africa’s toughest business challenges are extended full-time employment offers upon completion of the programme. Since winning this award in 2017, Bain & Company has introduced numerous innovations based on feedback from graduates to make the Associate Consultant Internship an even more impactful experience.

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Best Work Experience

Through our graduate programs, our #YOUNGDIFFERENCEMAKER contribute to the purpose driven work that enables Nedbank to the be the difference that impacts
our world!

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Best Work Experience

Through our CA and Quants graduate programs – this experience aims to show how two different industries/fields of expertise can work together in making a difference, our #YOUNGDIFFERENCEMAKER contribute to the purpose driven work that enables Nedbank to the be the difference that impacts our world!

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Best Work Experience Award

EY South Africa launched its rebranded and designed work experience programme for students looking at launching their career in the world of audit, finance and accounting. The new programme is called #EYUncovered. This exciting new matric and university programme gives students all the information they need about the industry, work, clients and of course, EY! Historically known as the EY Business Experience Programme, this innovative programme has been revamped and rebranded as EY Uncovered, with a renewed focus on providing students with the skills, knowledge, and connections they need to succeed in the competitive world of audit and finance. Through a combination of specially designed classroom learning activities, practical experience, and networking opportunities with industry leaders, EY Uncovered offers students a comprehensive and immersive introduction to the world of business. Whether they’re looking to become a Chartered Accountant, or simply want to explore their options in this exciting field, EY Uncovered is the perfect place to start.
Launched in July of this year, it was exceptionally well executed and received which we hope our submission showcases. EY offices and students that participated in the programme:
Johannesburg: 80 students
Cape Town: 60 students
Durban: 40 students

Links to the webpage are added to this submission in an attached document where we share the various marketing and promotion activities such as social media posts which contain promotional video content as well as videos of the event itself including testimonials from those who attended. We’ve also included student brochures that have the information about the programme.

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IQbusiness

Our company’s objective to grow people, grow business and grow Africa is entirely lived in the approach we take to the running of our internship. We typically hire 50 – 60 interns annually, who are brought on as Associate Consultants/Associates. The Associates are at the centre of the 12 month programme, ensuring that their growth and development is core to what we do. We begin the programme with an intense 1-month formal training and project simulation experience, introducing the Associates to the high-pressure context of business consulting and affording them the opportunity to network with a vast array of IQers across the organisation. Our Curriculum is broadly dived into three categories: Technical Skills, Soft / Interpersonal Skills, and IQbusiness – as an organisation – related training. Associates are allocated to Team Leaders who they engage with monthly – at a minimum – where career goals and plans are discussed and reflected upon. Towards of the 12 months, we begin the process of performance review and will usually hire 96% of the interns, on a permanent basis with either an increase in salary or a full-scale promotion and increase.

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Bowmans Bridge

The Bowmans bridge program is a structured development workplace programme designed to help our signed CA’s over a 12 to 24 month period (Depending on when they sign their articles contract) acquire the necessary skills & knowledge to transition into new roles and adapt to the transition from University into Bowmans. This program is used to bridge the gap between a students existing competency and the ones required for their future role at Bowmans.

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