TRACE MOBILE TACKLES UNEMPLOYMENT THROUGH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

By Romley_T August 21, 2019

TRACE Mobile, South Africa’s only lifestyle network created by the youth for the youth is tackling youth unemployment head-on by providing credible training and employment opportunities for this key market through its TRACE Troops initiative.

Teboho also know as Caddy

“As a brand that primarily focuses on entertaining and engaging with the youth, we felt that it was our responsibility to give the very same youth, especially the unemployed, job opportunities,” saysPrescillia Avenel-Delpha, Vice-President Mobile & Marketing at TRACE.

The initiative is designed to employ and upskill youth, regardless of education and work experience. Candidates, particularly those within the 18 - 25 bracket who are successful in their application for the skills development programme, undergo weeks of training in sales, marketing and activations.

“Our TRACE Troops are not chosen on merit but are chosen on personality, street smarts and the understanding of what their peers like and want. Our TRACE Troops are the ones who play an role in the development of our lifestyle network TRACE Mobile, because they are in tune with their peers,” says Avenel-Delpha.

Data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) for Q1 of 2019 show that the unemployment level amongst youth between the ages of 15 - 24 stands at an alarming 55,2%. Furthermore, unemployment amongst graduates, in the same age group, sits at 31% - having increased by 11,4% from Q4 of 2018, where it stood at 19,5%.

The successful graduates become a TRACE Troop, and are stationed within TRACE Mobile, actively assisting with sales, marketing and activation activities, all whilst earning a salary of up to R15,000 a month.

TRACE Troops is one of a few innovations from the network, who last month launched their first-to-market self-RICA and SIM ordering offer via its app, which is already disrupting the industry and adding immense value for its consumers.

This digitises the sim card process, allowing consumers to order their sim card and self-RICA online in a matter of minutes, then pick up their sim card at over 560 Pargo affiliated retail outlets across the country almost immediately.