UCS Technology Services, a leading retail and technology services company, increased its broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) rating from ICT Sector Level 3 to ICT Sector Level 2 contributor.
Attaining a Level 2 has been an ongoing commitment to BBBEE by UCS TS; across the company, this has been high on the list of priorities, and goals have been set across the company to achieve this.
The rating has been attributed to the following areas:
* Skills development, where UCS TS has once again scored particularly well; as evidence of this, UCS TS has invested more than R5.8 million in the 2013 financial year on various training-related initiatives specifically aimed at its previously disadvantaged staff;
* Socio-economic development (SED), where UCS TS' focus is on uplifting children in need and education, with three specific initiatives:
* Umthombo Youth development + foundation. Umthombo identifies, trains and supports youth from rural KZN to become qualified healthcare professionals. Once trained, the healthcare workers are employed in the province and provide services at the 11 rural hospitals in four health districts. More than 100 persons have qualified as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and therapists over the past decade. UCS TS is a proud funding organisation that supports this initiative monthly.
* Jabulani Khakibos Kids (JKK) is an orphanage for boys in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. It currently provide shelter for 32 orphans. UCS TS has selected JKK as one of the beneficiaries of its SED programme, and, in addition to monthly financial support, will look to build a more personal relationship with the boys by providing mentoring and life skills support;
* Nokuphile School is a school for disadvantaged children in Thembisa that is run and funded by the Christ Church School in Midrand, Johannesburg. UCS TS supports Nokuphile via its sponsor-a-school child programme and its student teacher development programme.
"Over the years, we have always looked for SED beneficiaries that we can build personal relationships with by getting our staff involved in their activities and not just supporting them financially, and with JKK and Nokuphile, we have found that. I would really say that our partnerships with them are a match made in heaven," said Mike Powell, Commercial Executive, UCS TS.
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