Kauthar Ravat and Yolanda Mni attended the Young Executive Programme hosted by Deloitte on 9 and 10 April.

The days started with the learners meeting in the D tour room where they were able to enjoy a cup of coffee, a game of pool and each other’s company. They then moved over to the training room where they were divided into four groups and a round of 30 Seconds served as an ice breaker

 On the first day the aims of the programme were addressed which included enlightening current matric learners from Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth on the route to becoming a chartered accountant, what the profession entails, opportunities within the accounting field and an introduction to auditing. This valuable information was presented to the learners on the first day by two first year trainees, Jade and Liezle. They also shared some of their university experiences with the learners and offered valuable advice.

Other first and second year trainees also addressed the learners and shared their school and university experiences as well as why they chose the university where they completed their degree and honours, advice on what to expect from each year, how to cope with the work load and why they chose to become Chartered Accountants. Their stories and advice were very informative and inspiring.

They also received a very insightful presentation from one of Deloitte’s managers who discussed his experience with JIT (Just in Time) as well as living and working abroad and why he chose to move back to South Africa.

They were also privileged enough to get the opportunity to speak to one of the partners of Deloitte. He shared his journey of becoming a CA as well a partner of Deloitte. Learners were also able to ask him questions.

In between the presentations the learners were tasked to prepare for a debate on one of the following two topics: A University Degree Guarantees You a Job and An Increase in Tax Will Improve the Standard Of Living of South Africans. On the second day the heated debates took place and in both cases the proposition won and Kauthar and Yolanda were part of the winning teams.

Another highlight of the programme was the Business Game where all the groups received information about the same gym which was doing very poorly and they had to make decisions on how to improve and expand the gym, attract clients and make a profit. It was a challenging game which consisted of five rounds and required a lot of thought. In the end the group, Evolve, won the game and each team member received a gift voucher.

Yolanda’s group, The Early Birds, accumulated the most points from quizzes, random rounds of 30 Seconds and the debate. They also received gift vouchers.

Kauthar and Yolanda wish to thank the Deloitte staff for making their experience at Deloitte unforgettable. They would also like to express their gratitude to Mrs Du Plessis for nominating them to attend this programme.