On 31 May 2007 the participants of Business Connexion's PERSAL internship programme graduated, after two years of theoretical and practical training on the PERSAL payroll and human resources system.
PERSAL is a transversal system, developed by Business Connexion, which manages payroll and human resources across various governmental institutions. While the National Treasury is the custodian of the system, Business Connexion provides system support for all national and provincial departments.
Of the 11 participants on the internship programme, 10 were women. Candidates were selected from the Tshwane University of Technology, on the basis of academic performance, where they graduated with degrees or diplomas in public management, public finance or public administration.
After graduating from the internship programme, they became available to assist in service delivery to the National Treasury's various departments and regions.
Nomvuso Noxaka and Dorothy Molotwane are two of the graduating interns who continued working for Business Connexion after the programme ended. Both work as PERSAL system advisors on a team responsible for departmental requests.
Noxaka says it is the dynamism of the IT industry that she enjoys most: "It is a very broad industry. There is a lot to learn about and it is always changing. Even people who have been here for 20 years have to ask questions about the system sometimes."
Molotwane agrees and says the programme presented a steep learning curve: "It was difficult at first because it's a complicated system and people always wanted us to access information very quickly. At first, clients would ask to speak to someone who knew what they were doing, but now they ask to speak to us," she says.
According to Isaac Mophatlane, group executive: public sector at Business Connexion, the internship programme represents an investment of R1 million in skills development. "We believe this will deliver great returns, not just for Business Connexion, but also for the graduates who are joining our ranks.
"Business Connexion remains committed to the development of promising young South Africans, as it is the skill and talent of our people that is a major differentiator in a competitive business environment," he concludes.
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