The future success of communities and economies relies on the next generation having the right skills, but one of the biggest challenges is equipping them with the right ones to enable them to fulfil their potential. We have designed programmes and interventions that will positively impact participants’ future academic and career paths.

In today’s fast changing, global economy, educators and employees alike recognise that traditional education often falls short of providing young people with the basic life skills they need to succeed – in school, their communities and future work places.

Greater investment in such programs will help narrow the growing gap between the supply of and demand for skilled workers, while helping to bridge the digital divide between developed and underdeveloped areas, municipalities and provinces of our country. Organisations, government departments and municipalities that are conscious of the needs of the country that are aligned to NDP, youth development and Social Corporate responsibility will benefit their organisations, the community and their employees.

We are expecting our life skills and Entrepreneurship Development programme to positively impact participants’ future academic, entrepreneurial and career paths. We have seen a greater of YLED participants achieve academic and personal success over the past decade and are committed to the journey of reaching and making a difference in the lives of more young people across the country and region

To-date more than 15 000 learners from a number of high schools in Gauteng, Limpopo, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have benefited from YLED efforts

NURTURING MINDS AND DEVELOPING LEADERS

PROGRAMMES & INTERVENTIONS

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YLED Flagship Programme

In-school MBA Programme is a 28 week long initiative that gives selected in-school learners the opportunity to have their leadership, interpersonal and entrepreneurship skills honed through four different models, including Youth Self-Leadership, the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge and Leadership Skills. By acquiring these skills, we believe the young people will play a full role in society and economy.
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YLED Give Back

The aim of the YLED Give Back Initiative is to get young people involved in the real world through becoming actively involved in solving a social challenge they have identified as a collective. It is about finding solutions to problems in order to change and improve the lives of other young people in a practical and effective manner.
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Youth Self-Leadership Skills (YSL)

Imparting the much-needed employability skills that will seek to build a good foundation for self-development and success in life. Our sessions are designed to improve participant’s critical thinking, confidence levels and effective problem-solving capabilities. We aim to produce young people that demonstrate the ability to articulate personal values and a sense of responsibility to self and others.
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Leadership Skills

Themed youth leadership development initiative, aimed at unearthing and developing future leaders by promoting youth leadership development experiences that encourage group participation as well as collaboration with other individuals and groups.
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Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC)

With the right skills and support to set up their own business, young people will have the opportunity to provide for themselves, their families and support growth of the wider economy. Through the Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Programme, YLED Educates the learners of business skills in order to develop an understanding of business organisations and provide them with real and practical experience in running small businesses of their own – thus creating Entrepreneurial awareness.
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Career Development

An intervention designed to provide young people with the necessary guidelines that facilitates awareness with regards to their intended fields of study. Implemented in a form of skills sessions and a Career Day – my career journey as it applies today and the associated lessons.
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Financial Literacy Programme

Equipping young people with the right financial skills, disadvantaged young people will know how to manage their finances effectively, avoiding debt, have the confidence and knowledge to create a stable financial platform and plan for their future.
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Young Women in Dialogue

A women’s development programme designed to provide a platform for thorough, informed dialogue between young women students and learners and female professionals on the challenges faced by young women in modern day South Africa. The programme is aimed at challenging the young women to look beyond their challenges, make a positive change to their lives, communities, and provide them with the necessary tools to do so.
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Young Men in a Million

A men’s development programme that is designed to provide a platform for thorough, informed dialogue between young male students and learners and male professionals on the challenges faced by young men in modern day South Africa, and explore ways in which these young lads can navigate these challenges.
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Motivational Talks

Young and seasoned professionals that can relate to the challenges that young people face at this stage of their lives are available to give the future leaders reasons to believe. They come from diverse backgrounds, overcame adversity to achieve success in their respective fields, have the ability to inspire, teach and energise the young people. Furthermore, YLED Graduates get an opportunity to share their life journeys with the aim to inspire and motivate others.
TESTIMONIALS

WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY

  • Jeremy Afrika
    "The lessons I’ve learned have helped me complete my matric year successfully and have made my life much easier at university, as we were given guidance on what to expect and how to tackle challenges that may arise; it put me in the frame of mind to achieve what I want to in life. Today I feel that I am a well-rounded person due to the experiences and lessons learnt from the programme."
    Jeremy Afrika
    (YLED 2008) Accountant Executive
  • Faith Moeletsane
    “Today I am able to communicate better, having not being to an interview yet I’ve been prepared for one, from the clothing, posture, walk and even the hand shake. I know that there are opportunities for young people out there and things are not as dull and bad as they seem when one is in their closet.”
    Faith Moeletsane
    (YLED 2008) HR Practitioner
  • Amanda Modise
    “The Entrepreneurship leg of the programme made me aspire to open my business one day. The LSM programme helped me quite a lot in matric because I could apply what I learned. At the beginning of my varsity life, I felt that I couldn‘t use some of the lessons learnt because I faced different challenges that I couldn’t tie in the skills that I learnt from the programme. However, over time I realized that some lessons where relevant and applicable to challenges I faced in higher learning.”
    Amanda Modise
    (YLED 2007) Enterprise Development Practitioner
  • Mapula H Monyela
    “YLED NPO, thank you for all you have done. Till this day, I still benefit from YLED. Even though I am in my engineering career, I tend to have business ideas for the future because I do not want to rely on my job for financial security."
    Mapula H Monyela
    (YLED 2010) Electronics Support
  • Busisiwe Zwane
    "YLED has taught Luyanda to be strong, stand up for herself to any circumstances, challenges that comes to her.  She has learnt to be firm.  Looking at her now I can see that she is going to be a strong corporate lady because YLED has taught her to be strong."
    Busisiwe Zwane
    Luyanda Zwane (Parent)
  • Iris Dempsey: CEO FNB Commercial

    “In the four years of running the YLED programme, we have successfully seen and influenced over 200 potential young entrepreneurs, by equipping them with the skills they need to run their own businesses. Our commitment to the future of entrepreneurship in South Africa can be seen in our expansion of the programme into the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, starting in 2010. We believe that these learners are the future of this country and in helping shape them, they can shape the future of South Africa.”

     
     
    Iris Dempsey: CEO FNB Commercial
    YLED Programme 2006 - 2009
  • Efiong Akpan: Owner McDonalds Polokwane

    “Hi Steve, It is nice to see how these young ones are maturing in the business world. It will be interesting to track their progress in life and to see how the seeds planted will grow in the future. Yes, it is more important for us sponsors who have taken them so far to continue to the end. We are grooming future leaders in our communities.”

     
     
    Efiong Akpan: Owner McDonalds Polokwane
    YLED Programme 2010

  • "What Steven and his team are doing is exceptionally good, as our kids have an advantage over the other kids around them."

     
     
    Taylo Mosavel (Parent)
  • Bongiwe Tindleni: General Manager (Micro Enterprise Finance at ABSA Bank)

    "This event (Young Women Dialogue) bears testimony to the employee volunteerism programme that ABSA drives because four different units (CRES, Seshego Cares, Unsecured lending and Group Talent) collaborated with a youth development organisation to share their skills, impact the knowledge as well as empower the young girl child on the day. ‘The time has come for female leaders to take on an active role to guide the next generation of women leaders."

     
     
    Bongiwe Tindleni: General Manager (Micro Enterprise Finance at ABSA Bank)
    Young Women in Dialogue 2011
  • Kendra Bethanie

    "He has become more inspired in his life. The way he talks, walks, dress, everything has changed. Besides watching the news, he barely spends time in front of the television."

     
     
    Kendra Bethanie
    Cautlyn Bethanie (Parent)
  • Lenah Rammaledi

    "I can really remember her coming from the Financial Literacy Session on Saturday and said 'Mama you need to make good debt not like now you make bad debt' and I didn't understand, but knowing Koketso she explained and I understood.  I will now take her advice and make good debt."

     
    Lenah Rammaledi
    Koketso Ngubeni (Guardian)
  • Elegance Gozo: ABSA Head of Young Talent

    “The YLED initiative is a reflection of the commitment by the ABSA executive team to bring about change in shaping young people’s minds because the future success of communities and economies relies on the next generation having the right skills.”

     
    Elegance Gozo: ABSA Head of Young Talent
    YLED Programme 2012
  • Tumi Baldese: Project Administrator at FNB

    "Participating in the YLED programme was a wonderful opportunity that opened many doors for me. It was a stepping stone to many of the activities and roles I ventured into post-matric."

     
     
    Tumi Baldese: Project Administrator at FNB
    Honours Degree in Economics (University of Pretoria 2010 - 2012), Graduate Development Programme (FNB, 2013). YLED Programme 2007 Graduate
  • Gail Lyners

    "I would like to thank the YLED team for all the effort invested and impact made in my daughter's life."

     
     
    Gail Lyners
    Shandray Steward (Mother)
BECOME PART OF OUR FAMILY

WHY BECOME A YLEDER?

1.

Develop better communication skills

2.

Learn to persist through failure

3.

Learn how to be flexible and adaptable when facing obstacles

4.

Learn how to take smart risks

5.

Develop better problem-solving skills

6.

Become an effective opportunity finder