Applications for Vodacom’s Early Careers programs are now being accepted for the 2025 intake. As part of its mission to foster an inclusive digital society by providing job and educational opportunities for developing talent in STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—Vodacom is launching this project to encourage youth development in South Africa.
Vodacom is celebrating thirty years of tying South Africans together, but we’re also thinking ahead and considering how we might use our resources to create a more inclusive digital society. This goal depends on fostering diversity in STEM fields and the development of digital skills, especially for our young people who will be entering a workforce that is increasingly reliant on technology. Vodacom South Africa’s Human Resources Director, Njabulo Mashigo, states, “Our Early Career programs offer life-changing opportunities that empower young people to pave a path in a digital world.”
The Discover Graduate Programme is one of the Early Careers options. It is geared toward aspiring leaders and provides graduates with a comprehensive Vodacom work experience, including coaching, mentoring, and on-the-job training, all while earning a full salary.
Participants may move into a destination role within the organization after two years.Through a paid 12-month fixed-term contract, the Vodacom Early Careers Internship Program offers graduates important job experience at the organization. Interns have the opportunity to learn about potential career routes, connect with STEM professionals, and hone their skills in a digital tech company. Vodacom’s Early Careers Academic Merit Bursary is open to undergraduates. All full-time first-year, second-year, and third-year students who plan to study or are currently studying in STEM subjects but might not have the resources to finish their degree are eligible to apply.
The figures from our Early Career Program for the fiscal year 2023–2024 are as follows:
- #CodelikeaGirl: Since the program’s inception, 2451 high school girls have learned to code, bringing the total number of trained girls close to 6000. The goal of #Code Like a Girl is to break down gender preconceptions surrounding STEM fields while introducing impoverished girls to the fundamentals of coding, life skills, and potential career routes.
- Provided bursaries to 183 young people pursuing education, with 69 of those recipients being students with impairments.
- Through our internship and learnership programs, 176 young people without jobs were given the opportunity to get work experience; 56 of them were hired by Vodacom and placed into its permanent workforce.
- For 57 Graduates, the renowned Discover Graduate Program offered permanent employment.
Our Early Careers programs show how dedicated we are to fostering an inclusive, progressive, diverse, and people-centered workplace culture, which has led to our ranking as South Africa’s top employer. Significantly, we are achieving our goals of promoting digital inclusiveness, facilitating sustainable socioeconomic growth, and fostering a more promising future for our children and our nation,” Mashigo adds.
Apply at https://www.vodacom.com/early-careers.php
