Futuremakers initiative is the bank’s global initiative to tackle inequality and seeks to promote greater economic inclusion for young people in communities across the globe.
The programme supports disadvantaged young people from low-income households particularly girls and people with visual impairments to take part in programmes focused on education, employability, and entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the third edition launch, the bank’s CEO Mpho Masupe said they aim to do better with this edition of the Futuremakers. “The rigour that goes into ensuring that these programmes are relevant for our country and that the material is beneficial makes me believe that we will do even better, given that we now have 24 months to roll out the programme,” he said.
According to the CEO, some of the programmes highlight that they are exceeding targets in the business one-stop shop targets and are also supporting the informal sector through community outreach programmes doing pop-ups. Standard Chartered staff also participates in mentoring and hosting masterclasses as a way of giving back to the Futuremakers community. “Futuremakers is an initiative we are extremely proud of. We see the fruits of the hard work, more importantly, the impact our initiatives are having on the communities around us,” he said. To date, 20 industry experts were engaged to share their expertise with 464 beneficiaries over seven masterclasses.
The 20 beneficiaries participated in the Business Mentorship programme, guided by 16 mentors. About 60% of the beneficiaries were women and six beneficiaries with visual impairment were reached.
According to the bank, 83% of the in-depth trained beneficiaries reported improvement in business knowledge and skills, while four were selected as part of the Forbes Under-30 delegates. “Of the in-depth programmes, aspiring entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurial skills training, 53% of beneficiaries are in business, 36% of the beneficiaries have found a job with an employer, 11% of the beneficiaries are participating in a Governmental Scheme Programme further education/unemployed meaning 89% are economically active,” he said.
