..:: AUTO REPORT AFRICA ::..
Related Articles
The annual Best Trainee Awards, which are presented by the Volkswagen Group, honour and promote young talent within the Volkswagen worldwide network. This year’s Best Trainee Award was the 17th of its kind presented by the Volkswagen Group. Since inception in 2001, a total of 477 trainees have been honoured. The Volkswagen Group worldwide is currently training approximately 19,000 young women and men in about 60 vocations and 50 dual courses of study.
At this year’s ceremony, the prizes for the 46 young talents from the various countries were presented by the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Matthias Müller, the Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Human Resources, Organization and IT, Dr Karlheinz Blessing, and the President of the Global Group Works Council, Bernd Osterloh.
“Those who receive Best Trainee Awards and therefore among the best Trainee’s in the Volkswagen Group throughout the world have good reason to be confident and courageous,” said Müller at the award ceremony. “And courage is perhaps the most important characteristic that we need, as people and as a company, in an era of fundamental changes.” Müller congratulated the award-winners and added: “We need people like you to help bring our Group forward with intelligence, determination and passion.”
The 2017 South African recipient of the “Best Trainee Award” was Saajid Hoosen. Twenty-five year-old Hoosen joined VWSA as a Graduate Trainee in 2015. He currently works as a Pricing Specialist within VWSA’s National Sales Organisation in Johannesburg. A keen soccer player and chairman of the Sports Committee at Volkswagen’s Sandton office, Saajid tackles his work and outside activities with energy and enthusiasm.
“I am extremely grateful to everyone that has played a part in my development. I am proud to have been selected to fly the South African flag amongst some of the biggest nations in the world. Meeting so many different people from around the world has really been eye opening and given me insight into the magnitude of influence Volkswagen has on people throughout the world and just how large the footprint really is. Throughout the ceremony a lot of emphasis was placed on the future of Volkswagen and I’m looking forward to being a part of it,” commented Hoosen.
“Our various Trainee programmes at VWSA help us find and grow the best talent in South Africa. We need young, dynamic and forward thinking trainees that will help us move Volkswagen forward. For Saajid to be honoured for his outstanding performance and professional competence is not only a feather in his cap but endorsement that we as a company are finding and grooming the right people,” said Thomas Schaefer, Chairman and Managing Director Volkswagen Group South Africa.
