By Dumisani Sigogo – In celebration of this year’s South Africa’s youth month, the Public Sector Accountancy and Audit Academy (PSAAA) held its first take a child to work initiative in Centurion, north of Johannesburg on Tuesday. PSAAA is the training academy of the Southern African Institute of Government Auditors (SAIGA).
An educational initiative is a collaborative act of volunteerism, aimed at encouraging corporates in South Africa to empower and provide guidance to school pupils on career development. The initiative will not only support the self-development of the learners but also aims to expose young people to careers in the public sector, where currently stats by the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) of the 1st quarter of 2021, shows that there is a shortage of young people working in the government sector.
PSAAA has made every effort to adhere to government safety regulations during the Covid-19 pandemic and all Covid-19 precautions were observed. The “Take A Girl Child To Work” initiative will be going forward in the form of a virtual workshop in order to accommodate for more learners and schools to participate.
The launch of the 2021 PSAAA Take A Child To Work Day took place at the PSAAA head offices, with grade 10 and 11 learners in business and accounting subjects from Centurion, Masiqhakaze, and Olievenhoutbosch Secondary Schools.
After a brief welcome by Russell Morena, SAIGA’s Chief Executive Officer, learners were put through their paces by Registered Government Auditor (RGA) professionals covering numerous topics including Accounting, Finance, Business, and Information Technology.
The learners also engaged with the RGA professionals to gather an understanding of a day in the life of an auditor in the public sector. They also had an opportunity to engage with employees of PSAAA and SAIGA.
“We’re proud to have been able to launch this initiative this year, despite the trying times we all live under,” says Morena.
“The Take A Child To Work Day initiative is an important agent for change in South Africa’s workplaces, promoting equality and empowerment,” he says.
The post South African accountants launch “Take a Child to Work Day” first appeared on The African Gazette.