Seventeen young South Africans, almost all of whom are living with a disability, have graduated from a learnership programme fully sponsored by MetroFibre. They now hold an NQF Level 3 qualification in Contact Centre and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Support, and a credible route into one of the country’s fastest-growing industries.
MetroFibre onboarded 19 learners into the learnership programme in September 2025. Seventeen completed it successfully and graduated in August 2026. The cohort is the fourth sponsored under MetroFibre’s Annual Unemployed Youth Development Initiative, which is dedicated to uplifting unemployed youth living with disabilities. The learnerships are delivered in partnership with training provider, Training Force. MetroFibre funds the learnerships in full. This covers the cost of training as well as a monthly stipend for each learner.
“This programme sits at the heart of our transformation strategy. It reflects a commitment we take seriously: tackling South Africa’s skills shortage and helping to ease youth unemployment, one opportunity at a time,” says Ntsiki Woco, Chief Human Resources Officer at MetroFibre. “Our focus is on getting young South Africans, including those who battle the additional challenges of living with a disability, into structured learnerships. Most importantly, we want to see them absorbed into permanent employment.”
A barrier many never get past
South Africa’s youth unemployment rate rose to 47.4% in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics South Africa. For young people living with disabilities, the picture is far bleaker. The unemployment rate among persons with disabilities is estimated to exceed 90%, and approaches 100% in rural areas. The South African National Council for the Blind reports that only 2% to 3% of blind people are employed, with most relying on social grants.
“The wrenching reality is that South Africans living with disabilities often find themselves on the periphery of society,” says Woco. “They are cut off from the networks that feed traditional recruitment pipelines and many face the prospect of lifelong unemployment. This is where learnership programmes matched with absorption into jobs can make an existential difference.”
More than a certificate
Woco says the value of the learnership programme goes well beyond the certificate. “Through our ongoing support, learners gain the confidence, skills and real-world work experience to build a future and self-determination. These 17 young people are stepping forward with a solid credential in hand. They have a foot firmly in the door of South Africa’s BPO sector, which is not only growing and increasingly serving global markets, but is also uniquely positioned to cater for the unique occupational needs of people living with disabilities.
“Our investment in these learnerships is about making a tangible impact on the economy, on society and ultimately on our own business and industry,” she adds. “Learnerships allow us to make a fundamental, long-term difference in the lives of some of our most vulnerable young citizens.”
Three learnership cohorts a year
MetroFibre sponsors three learnership cohorts annually. One is an employed learnership for its own staff, designed to support meaningful career and skills progression within the business. The other two are for unemployed candidates: one cohort of women and one of people living with disabilities, with learnership programmes specifically in ICT-related disciplines.
“Milestones like this remind us that, as businesses, we can make a real difference. We can connect young people to possibility, to careers and to independence,” says Woco. “Here’s to the next cohort, and to many more futures changed for the better.”
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