This year marks the 10th anniversary of Kyocera Document Solutions’ continued support of the non-profit organisation, Potters House Training Centre.
Not only is the company celebrating the long-standing partnership with Potters House, but also honouring the first young woman graduate from the xerography training programme.
“Education is a vital part of a person’s life, which can influence not only their success rate, but also their quality of life,” says Wayne Holborn, MD of Kyocera Document Solutions South Africa.
“Kyocera Document Solutions South Africa believes that it’s important to invest in the education industry in order to create job opportunities and to also fuel the industry with new talent. This is why, through the provision of equipment, consumables and marketing aid, we have supported the xerography training programme for the past ten years, empowering underprivileged students and building their skill set in the repair of office automation equipment.”
Katlego Ramotshabi says that, as the first young woman on the course, she felt a great deal of pressure to succeed and felt she had to prove herself worthy of the opportunity given to her.
“Now that I have graduated, my fear has been replaced with pride and I am really excited to be in this fascinating profession,” she says. “I’d like to continue learning more about the copier industry and want to keep working on copier machines now that I understand how they function. I am grateful to have been introduced to this industry.”
Katlego is one of 180 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds that have been assisted over the years and her counsel for other young women is to stay open to the opportunities. She points out that the labour law continues to enforce employment equality, resulting in a high demand for female technicians.
“My life has changed for the better since graduating from the Potters House Training Centre and since the number of female technicians is still on the rise, I’m a step ahead. Being a part of the programme has opened opportunities of employment that were not available before. I’ve also learned a lot about the copier industry, as well as developed skills like discipline, time management and paying attention to detail.”
Holborn adds: “During the last month of the programme, candidates volunteer at a dealership. They gain hands-on experience that teaches them how a company works and how to apply the skills they have learned to a real-world environment.
“What’s truly rewarding is that 95% of graduates end up staying on as full time members of staff at that company. This superb success rate speaks volumes about the hard work and dedication of those involved in the project,” he adds.