Epiroc’s internship programme underpins the organisation’s strong and unwavering focus on the youth and on how education can unleash their career potential. By offering invaluable experience in the workplace, the programme has created employment opportunities, empowering countless young interns to step on to full-time career paths, both within Epiroc as well as externally. This pool of young talent is able to make a valuable contribution to business, society and the economy. The internship programme also accentuates the organisation’s culture of Diversity & Inclusion.
As part of its Youth Month celebration, Epiroc is proud to profile five interns who have become full-time employees: De Wedt van Wyk, Systems Analyst, joined Epiroc as an intern in 2019; Chevon Mia, Customer Care Representative and Sibonele Moyo, Project Technical Specialist/Workshop Project Manager, started their internship in 2020; Neo Maloka, Employer Branding and Social Media Coordinator, Trudy Mbali Ndhlovu, SHEQ Officer, and Sanasha Moodley, Customer Care Administrator, were part of the 2021 internship programme.
Neo and Trudy comment on their experiences during their internship: When Neo joined Epiroc as a Yes4Youth intern in June 2021 as part of the Employer Branding and Social Media team, South Africa was still in COVID-19 lockdown which presented some challenges, limiting opportunities for in-person training and experiences. As lockdown eased, he was able to learn about Employer Branding, its importance in the company, and its impact on both current employees and external stakeholders. As an intern specialising in Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ), Trudy describes her experience as “an incredible journey” that provided her with invaluable insights and practical exposure in the field. “From day one, I was warmly welcomed by the SHEQ team who understood the importance of my role as an intern and actively sought opportunities to involve me in various projects and initiatives.” Chevon adds, “I had the opportunity to use what I studied at university in a work setting.”
Through initiatives such as training programmes, mentorships, etc., Epiroc has been instrumental in advancing interns’ careers to permanent employees. The organisation has been a big stepping stone in Sanasha’s career who says that the mentorships have enabled her to grow in a short time. Trudy defines the Epiroc work environment as supportive and collaborative. “I have had the privilege of working alongside talented and experienced professionals whose guidance, feedback, and willingness to share their knowledge have been instrumental in my development.”
Epiroc also provides education funding opportunities and several employees who are currently enrolled in post-grad programmes vow that they will leverage all these growth avenues provided by Epiroc to full potential. Epiroc interns also collaborate with other divisions, giving them a holistic view of the company, processes, products, etc. Discussing the value of Epiroc’s internship programmes, Neo describes it as “exceptional as it provides a structured and supportive environment for young graduates to gain exposure to the industry, practical experience, and valuable mentorship that lays a solid foundation for a successful career.”
Asked to comment about what they enjoy most about their full-time careers, Neo says that it’s the opportunity to unleash his creative side as well as to practice agility. “Every day, I get to dive into the world of cutting-edge technology through content creation tools and use them to showcase Epiroc as an #EmployerOfChoice in a captivating and innovative manner. It’s an exciting experience to #DareToThinkNew, bringing forth fresh ideas and enhancing our Epiroc Employer Brand. It has been an amazing journey as each day I discover new talents within myself.”
“I love the fact that not every day is the same in the Customer Care division,” comments Sanasha. Chevon, also part of the Customer Care team, embraces the daily interaction with different customers, giving him new exposures and knowledge while Sibonele enjoys the fact that having to deal with new problems in the fast-paced workshop environment heightens and improves her problem-solving skills.
As young adult employees, they all agree that Epiroc encourages a strong Diversity & Inclusion culture. “I do feel included, especially as a young female in a male dominated industry,” affirms Sibonele. For Neo it’s important to work in an environment where he can see representation, collaborate with individuals from different backgrounds, and embrace different perspectives. He also enjoys the global community within the organisation which allows him to interact with people from various backgrounds.
When asked what they liked most about working for Epiroc, Trudy states, “Other than manufacturing the coolest and most innovative equipment, I would like to say the ‘People’.” Neo describes the company culture as vibrant. “It encourages agility and innovation. The office vibes are positive and foster a collaborative atmosphere.” Sanasha describes Epiroc as a dynamic company and allows employees to broaden their horizons.”
In Q1 2023, Epiroc introduced ‘New Thinkers’. This new Brand Positioning aims to encourage young full-time employees to think innovatively, challenge the conventional and be part of the ever-changing world through accelerating transformation. The organisation’s young leaders are already demonstrating how their innovative thinking is accelerating transformation. As SHEQ Officer, Trudy says that leveraging innovative solutions allows her to enhance worker safety, improve productivity, and contribute to a more sustainable mining industry. Sanasha adds that it makes her focus more on digitalisation and technology and pushes her to think creatively.
Elaborating on how Innovative thinking helps to accelerates transformation, Trudy says, “Innovative thinking is crucial. Adapting to the evolving industry and technology trends fuels progress, drives competitiveness, and embraces change. By fostering a culture of innovative thinking and learning, we can identify opportunities and drive efficiencies.” Sibonele also believes that being innovative is a necessity, especially in the mining sector and highlights examples – Epiroc’s BEV machines to support the drive to ‘green mining’ and digital and automation technologies that help to further enhance safety and productivity.
Adding to this Neo says it’s vital so as to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry. “It encourages employees to explore new technologies and drive continuous improvement. This mind-set not only accelerates transformation within the organisation but also ensures that employees remain agile and adaptable to industry and technology trends, thus enabling us to reach our future sustainability goals within the mining and construction industry.”
De Wedt agrees: “Innovative thinking fuels progress and keeps us competitive in a rapidly changing industry. It’s not just about adopting new technologies; it’s also about fostering a culture where every employee feels empowered to challenge conventional wisdom and propose better solutions. In the end, it leads to better products, services, and internal processes.”
Epiroc is proud of all its interns including those who are now permanent employees, achieving this success not only through hard work and dedication, but also by embracing Epiroc’s narratives that help to unlock future career and leadership opportunities.
