Ten thousand students in ten years – that’s the benchmark that travel and logistics recruiter Lee Botti & Associates has reached since launching its Ithuba upliftment initiative a decade ago.
According to Lee Botti, MD of the company, the coronavirus pandemic slowed the momentum that the project had gathered over the years, but in the current employment environment, the programme has become more relevant than ever.
“Although COVID put a halt to Ithuba for a time, we have resumed the programme and trained an additional 600 students since the beginning of 2022,” she said.
The project, one of the agency’s most important initiatives in its 45-year history, is designed to guide the students on how to draw up a CV and how to apply to a job advert, Botti said.
In addition, students are shown how to present and conduct themselves in interviews, while also pursuing personal growth by getting temp or casual jobs during school holidays.
“We are fortunate to enjoy transport and facility donations from Iziko Museums, allowing us to teach the students from their premises.
“We have also benefited enormously from the specially-printed booklets provided by Travel News and all the Now Media publications, and the donations from other companies and industry-associated clubs who have donated towards this special cause.
“We truly believe that the youth of today are the future of our country, and if we can help them reach the starting block of their careers, then it will all have been worth it.”
