A pioneering academy allowing KFC staff to gain nationally-recognised qualifications will host its biggest graduation event on Thursday, 24 October, when 131 students will receive certificates.
The Streetwise Academy, launched by KFC in 2021 to address skills development and increase opportunities in a sector not typically associated with formal education, equips team members as supervisors, managers, operations specialists and human resources officers.
The qualifications it awards are accredited by the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA). They range from National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 3 to NQF level 8, equivalent to an honours degree.
The Streetwise Academy also offers learnerships for fast-food services, and the 87 young people who have taken advantage of the structured training programme in previous years have all found employment within KFC.
Milestone
Nolo Thobejane, KFC’s Chief People and Transformation Officer, says the graduation ceremony at the University of Johannesburg is a milestone for KFC and shows the way forward for skills development and the creation of economic opportunities.
“We’re proud to be the first quick service restaurant (QSR) group in South Africa offering NQF-certified courses to team members. But the greatest reward for our investment in the Streetwise Academy is seeing people’s potential unlocked by education,” says Thobejane.
“Considering that nearly 60% of the youngest employable demographic in our country are currently unemployed, programmes like the Streetwise Academy are not just a nice to have but an imperative. Courses at the Streetwise Academy open up career paths in hospitality, retail, and beyond, and they also help make KFC the employer of choice in the QSR sector.”
The Streetwise Academy’s class of 2023 was the biggest yet, with more than 200 KFC team members enrolling for eight courses in partnership with Ziyana Business Consulting & Training. The courses are conducted online and last 12 months (NQF 3-5) or 24 months (NQF 6-8). KFC meets all the costs.
‘We can do more’
The academy was established in 2021 when a KFC regional general manager shared the dream of wearing a cap and gown. The company started thinking about how it could support the individual in fulfilling this ambition.
“This conversation happened in the presence of my predecessor, Akhona Qengqe (now KFC Africa General Manager), and she took the idea and ran with it,” says Thobejane.
“The fact that our courses are aligned with the requirements of two SETAs and the NQF is key, but apart from technical skills, we believe the leadership lessons embodied in the training are vital. Among the graduates on 24 October will be many of KFC Africa’s future leaders.”
Thobejane says the Streetwise Academy expresses KFC’s cultural values, which advocate investment in people, modernisation of the workforce, and winning the war for talent. “We firmly believe that to win on our customer experience, we must prioritise employee experience.
“The academy is not only about skills; it’s also a way for KFC to have a social impact, to drive gender parity and pay parity, and it allows every student to accelerate their career path.”
The aim now is to deepen the impact of the academy by increasing student numbers every year. Applications for the next intake open in January 2025, and Thobejane expects many October graduates to re-enrol for a higher qualification. “We’ve seen the education bug bite, and with it the realisation that they can go further in their careers than they previously imagined,” she says.
Thobejane and Qengqe will be joined by University of Johannesburg Vice-Chancellor Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi to present certificates at the graduation ceremony.
Investing in the whole child
At KFC, we believe that business cannot succeed in communities that fail. This is why championing youth potential is a core focus of our brand. Barriers to entry into the workforce – such as experience, market access, and job-matched training and education– often hinder the youth’s success. The Streetwise Academy was designed to tackle these challenges head-on, and we are proud of its impact.
So far, 87 learners have experienced the Streetwise Academy’s learnerships in previous years. They have subsequently obtained employment with KFC, and 40% have advanced to management positions.
Over 24 classroom days, learners get a grounding in food preparation and cooking, health and safety, food service, food storage and stock management, customer care, effective working relationships and personal development.
“This learnership, accredited by the Services SETA, also leads to an NQF qualification. That means it gives everyone who completes it an edge when looking for a job,” says Thobejane.
“By offering it, KFC is playing its part in combating unemployment.
“We’re delighted that all the young people who have completed the learnership have found employment with us, with many achieving rapid promotion, but the qualification also helps students wherever they seek work in our industry.”
The learnerships are part of KFC’s broader investment in the whole child. Add Hope, which works through a collaborative effort between KFC and its customers, provides more than 80,000 nutritious meals daily to hungry and malnourished children nationwide. This year, it passed the R1 billion fundraising milestone.
KFC Mini Cricket, the country’s largest grassroots sports programme, gives 120,000 girls and boys between the ages of three and 12 the opportunity to be active.
Ikusasa Lethu scholarships provide access to quality education for children who are Add Hope beneficiaries or whose parents work in KFC restaurants.
