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The NEF, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Paris (CCIP) have partnered to offer South African junior managers the exceptional opportunity of a six week training Programme in France. This opportunity has arisen as a result of a Declaration of Cooperation on JIPSA signed between the French and South African Governments in 2008.
JIPSA is the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition. It is a high-level joint initiative between the South African Government, business and labour to identify solutions to skill shortages in critical areas of the South African economy.
By virtue of the Declaration of Cooperation and the support pledged therein by the French Government through its designated agencies, along with the NEF as the South African partner and implementation arm of the South African Government, this JIPSA Junior Manager Development Programme (“JIPSA JMDP”) will directly benefit 100 South African junior managers. Indirectly however through its contribution to addressing the skills shortage we face, this Programme shall also benefit the employers and the respective sectors from which the participants have been selected and ultimately, the economy as a whole.
In 2010 34 participants were selected to participate in the JIPSA JMDP with ‘life-changing’ results. 66 participants are thus to be selected for the 2011 Programme.
In brief, the 2011 JIPSA JMDP shall comprise of:
1. a two-week management training seminar hosted by a CCIP-associated business school in Paris. This training seminar will aim to reinforce managerial skills, negotiation strategy, team building, and dynamics, as well as facilitate the managers’ integration into their host companies by providing them with tools to understand the French and European context;
2. a four-week internship at a French host company, specific to the sector the manager has been selected from. NOTE: Candidates will be required to make every best effort to secure, with the assistance of the CCIP, an internship. Whilst it is not strictly a condition precedent for successful participation that an internship is secured by the candidate, the reality is that participation in the Programme will not be possible without a host company at which to serve an internship. Hence, interested candidates are encouraged to commence with identifying and engaging with potential host companies at the application stage of the selection process. Whilst the CCIP in Paris will actively assist in trying to secure internships at French host companies for the 66 successfully selected candidates, the onus to do so is also on the respective candidates too;
3. introductory French language courses will also be provided prior to departure by the NEF and whilst in France, as part of the training seminar.
Candidates eligible for selection should:
• hold at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent;
• be between 25 and 40 years old at the time of application;
• demonstrate they have had professional managerial experience of at least 3 years (however this does not exclude professionals from applying who have not yet held a managerial position, but who show potential as future leaders); and
• have the unconditional support of their family and employer (the latter confirmed in writing), should they be an employee.
Again, participants will be drawn from sectors that have been prioritised for skills development, (and in 2011, entrepreneurs from these sectors are particularly encouraged to apply):
• Local Government
• Energy
• Infrastructure
• Finance
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
• Aerospace
• Agro-processing
• Other (limited to 10% of the total number of participants)
The full complement of participants chosen shall be representative of the demographics of South Africa and also representative of our 9 provinces.
The selection process will involve:
• a pre-screening of all applications to ensure compatibility with the basic selection criteria;
• a detailed review of each application;
• a telephonic interview with the candidate; and
• a final-round panel interview.
Naturally, the short-listing of candidates will take place at each respective stage of this selection process, to arrive ultimately at the selection of 66 candidates to participate in the 2011 JIPSA JMDP.
Successful participants will depart for France on 17 September 2011 and return to SA on 30 October 2011. Outside of these 6 weeks, time will be required from the successfully-selected participants to attend the French language courses (duration yet to be determined), a one-day pre-departure programme and a one-day Feedback Forum upon return to South Africa.
* “Professionals” means those persons who hold degrees requiring membership to a professional body or association that is from time to time reapplied for or must be kept current e.g. engineers, attorneys, accountants.
Should you meet the selection criteria and wish to apply, please complete the application form and along with the required supporting documentation, e-mail it to Emma Riley, the NEF Project Manager for the 2011 JIPSA JMDP on skills@nefcorp.co.za.
The application period opens on Monday 10 January 2011 at 08h00 and closes at 17h00 on 28 February 2011. Late, illegible and / or incomplete applications will not be considered under any circumstances.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION FORM
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE INFORMATION ABOVE
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