Your franchise chain is doing pretty well. But you can always do better. ‘How’, you ask? Charity. They say it begins at home, but if you start implementing it in your business you could be creating the best assets all your franchises need to succeed – skilled and dedicated workers.
Do you want to know how giving back can help you cash in, now and in the long run? Read on.
The Problem
According to Good Governance Africa (GGA), the youth are the most affected by unemployment. 52.6% of South African youth are either not qualified or inexperienced to fill some positions.
“Those who are meant to be gaining experience in the workplace are not, because businesses can provide few jobs for school-leavers due to the low literacy and numeracy levels that are currently being produced by the education system,” says Danie Jacobs of Young Entrepreneurs.
“Youths make up one-third of the SA population, yet they are the group with the highest level of unemployment.”
Your Role
SA restaurant chain Doppio Zero recently partnered with various NGOs and launched the #67Jobs apprenticeship programme, specifically created for young people who have little or no chance of breaking into the restaurant industry because of their lack of skills and experience.
“There are so many people who don’t have the skills for even entry-level jobs and they’re just being brushed aside. But when you come right down to it, it’s really not a big deal for a corporate to give someone a core skill,” says Doppio Zero’s Operations Director Ivan Walsh.
“As businesses, we can give people a starting point. As businesses we all really should.”
One of the programme’s trainees, Nonhlanhla Sibiya says she’s ready to put her skills to good use: “Now I see myself having my own coffee shop and giving back to the community and reducing unemployment like Doppio Zero has done for me.” When she completes her training she will be given the opportunity of a permanent contract with the restaurant group.
Here’s How To Do It
Suzuki launched an apprenticeship programme for its car dealers in 2003 and added motorcycle and ATV dealers in 2004. The first apprentice group graduated in 2005 and is now considered one of the highest regarded schemes in the industry producing 171 graduates to date, according to the company’s aftersales director Denis Houston.
“The Suzuki Apprenticeship Programme provides a strong foundation on which to develop their careers with Suzuki in the future.”
In 2013, franchise chain Bakers Delight offered 1000 new apprenticeship opportunities, despite statistics showing the Australian job market was gloomy. But they had a plan that was bigger than hiring the graduates, as co-founder and CEO of Bakers Delight Roger Gillespie explains.
“Many of our qualified apprentices also have aspirations to become a manager or a franchisee, in fact 30 percent of our franchisees began their career as an apprentice baker,” he says.
“There is no question the job market is tough,” said Gillespie. “As someone with many years in the baking industry and a fourth-generation baker, I speak from experience when I say that for young Australians a baking apprenticeship represents a solid career opportunity.”
Training unskilled youth in a discipline new to them may seem like it’s going to cost you a lot of time and money, but look at it this way – once they’ve earned their stripes, they are going to help run each and every one of your franchises to success, thanks to your patience, time and effort.