Synergy Group has recently started an internship programme. Apart from making its clients' lives easier through technology, it is setting out to enrich the lives of university graduates hoping to make their marks in the business world.
Synergy Group's new internship programme will see the addition of two recently graduated university students to the Synergy team. Michelle Parker, Sage ERP Consultant at Synergy, has realised that a lot of tertiary graduates leave with a vast amount of knowledge [theory], but no or very little practical experience. It seems, these days, more and more businesses look for experience rather than book learning. The aim of this internship is to not only change lives through technology, but also to help these graduates translate their studies into practice and to give them a foot in the door of the working world.
Michelle mentioned: "I have reached a stage in my life where I feel the need to pass on my skills and knowledge. So many young people leave universities with a diploma or degree, but have no means whatsoever to put their knowledge into practice. Students do not know the vast opportunities within the ERP industry; they need role models."
The aim of this first leg of the internship is to help young individuals who helped themselves by getting a degree or diploma and are now burdened with heavy study loans. Synergy Group will in the future look to help interns who just finished school. To qualify for this, Synergy Group will search for candidates who are disadvantaged. However, this internship process will require a longer duration and will be intensively focused on improving incumbents with soft skills in addition to the technical knowledge required using a combination of training modules and practical exposure.
Michelle explains that the biggest challenge for these graduates normally is to translate their studies into practice. "We initially need to focus on their understanding of manual bookkeeping skills and business processes. Once they grasp the concept of manual bookkeeping, we can help them translate that into ERP functionalities. When a client says that their entry went to an incorrect account, for instance, the interns will have a clear understanding of the underlying transaction required at that stage of the business process and be able to understand the client's problem. They will also be taught about underlying database tables, basic query language and reporting skills. With these skills, they will be equipped to start a future in ERP consulting."
The aim is to not only give them business savvy, but also to teach them soft skills; they will also learn how to communicate, to propose solutions and to deal with "difficult or frustrated" customers.
Thus, these interns will not only have a fair chance in the business world, but also have the necessary soft skills. On top of that, they will know the importance of self-presentation, a key prerequisite in today's gruelling and sometimes unforgiving business world.
Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, mentioned: "It is important that we realise the massive gap between what this [ERP and IT business solutions] industry needs and the qualifications that come out of universities. We are very excited about the skills training we will provide to our first two lucky interns. Our aim is to address the shortfall in skilled professionals by changing one life at a time through technology."
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