Hub showcases careers to "Take a Girl Child to Work" visitors

The Innovation Hub participated in the "Take a Girl Child to Work" initiative on 25 May this year by hosting a group of 20 girls from the David-Hellen Peta High School in Artteridgeville, west of Pretoria. Sponsored by Cell C, the initiative is aimed at exposing young women to a range of career options and the reality of a work environment.

Ten of the tenant companies at the Hub - Europa@Hub Restaurant, SkillsTrac, DBIT Management Systems, Class A Trading, Bigen Africa, Automated Product Development (APD), Business Process Support (BPS), EdgeRMS, E-Logics, Global Image and NetCB Solutions - also participated in the visit by hosting two girls each at their companies to interact with staff members and experience real-time business activities, with a focus on available career options.

On arrival the group and their teachers, Mr Thomas Mashapha and Mrs Helen Ndlovu, were introduced to The Innovation Hub by representatives Nkhulu Maboya and Jeanette Morwane, who also discussed the importance of self-esteem with the group - the theme for this year's initiative. After their individual visits to the companies, they enjoyed lunch at the Hub's on-site restaurant, Europa@Hub.

The two girls who were hosted by the restaurant were very excited to have helped in preparing lunch for the others. "I would love to venture into the hospitality business. It is very exciting and you get to learn new things and meet people of different cultures everyday," said Dennisa Mphethi.

Phillistas Aphane's visit to the Bigen Africa building, currently under construction at the Hub, convinced her that she wants to become a civil engineer. "After visiting the Bigen Africa building that is under construction, I learned that being an engineer has a lot of challenges. I enjoy challenges and would like to start preparing for an engineering career," she said.

Afternoon visits included a look at science and technology projects at the AMTS FabLab and paper-making at SAPPI Ltd. After 30 minutes, the girls swapped the two activities. "I never thought that science can be such fun. The FabLab is very exciting and I am sure that I will come back here very soon," said Lehlohonolo Phala.

Certificates of Participation, signed by the Cell C and The Innovation Hub CEOs, Mr Talaat Laham and Dr Neville Comins, were handed to the girls at the end of their visit. According to Elizabeth Msiza, who spoke on behalf of the group in thanking the Hub for the visit, the day's activities had provided them with useful insight into future careers. "Some of us have a better idea about our future careers, which has certainly added to our self-esteem. We will never forget this day and will work hard to make a success of whichever future careers we choose," she said.

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