On the eve of Youth Day on 16 June, SAMED is excited to announce our partnership with YES, the youth-employment and youth-empowerment programme that is currently working with more than 20 SAMED members. This has already benefited 1,287 young people, many of whom have dependants.

We are certain that the collaboration will benefit many more young job-seekers who have either medtech industry-specific and/or general skills – along with energy, aspirations and ideas to contribute to many businesses. We are also confident that this is of interest to most SAMED members as they have positions to fill, are looking to transform their businesses through skills and supplier development and want to support national socio-economic advancement.

Building on extensive engagements between YES and our Transformation Committee, SAMED looks forward to coordinating and facilitating the initiative that will help change the lives of South African youth and reignite the economy through a more transformed and sustainable medtech industry.

We are now finalising the details of how our collaboration will work and what it will entail in terms of digital and direct engagements and which models for identifying and placing youth at member companies and their suppliers are likely to best suit the needs of our industry and present greater combined opportunities to build the health sector. More information to come in a few weeks.