Sanlam Namibia has given internship opportunities to eight young Namibians from various institutions of higher learning as part of the company’s formalized placement program. The internship program was created to cultivate and nurture skills development to assist students in acquiring the necessary work experience and supplement their theoretical knowledge.
Sanlam Group CEO, Tertius Stears, said the company deemed it fit to formalize its internship program to create employment for young people. “This is allowing them an opportunity to apply the theory they have acquired at institutions of higher learning to practical work situations,” he explained. Stears further said these students are pioneers of this program and that they have a high expectation of them as many more students are expected to join the institution through this program. Hilaria Graig, Sanlam’s Marketing and Communication Manager, said the recruits would not make tea make copies type of interns. “We want to make an impact in their lives; we want to teach, to contribute, and send them out to the world for them to end up having a bright future for themselves,” Graig said.
Craig further informed the media they had received about 700 applicants, but only eight were vetted and accepted. Sanlam Namibia said the internship would run for three months, which started on August 1, 2019, and the students will be placed within different departments, including marketing, finance, law, human resources, client service, and investments, where they will be exposed to the ins and outs of these respective departments. One of the program recipients and the only male Joel Kagola, a third-year Bachelor of Economics student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Must), said he is delighted at the opportunity given to him by Sanlam. “The internship reassures me that my dreams are possible. I hope this opportunity exposes my weaknesses and makes me grow,” he excitedly said.
Nikita Shilongo, a Bachelor of Human Resource Development and Management student from the International University of Management (IUM), was over the moon and excited by the gesture by Sanlam and urged her peers to stay grounded and to work hard. “Never give up; always believe in yourself. Nothing comes easy, but you have to take the risk, and with every risk taken, there is always something great from it,” she said. Dibasen Goagoses, a fourth-year University of Namibia (Unam) student, said she hopes and thrives on being a human rights lawyer. “I am grateful to Sanlam Namibia for this opportunity. This is what one strives for as a student and for a well-known establishment such as Sanlam to recognize my potential and to take it upon themselves to invest their time and resources in my development is an opportunity I truly value,” she said. She further encouraged the youth to work hard and develop their passion.
