Corporate Social Investment

bp employees refurbish a mathematics classroom at Lofentse, a non-fee paying girls’ school in Orlando East, Soweto.

bp is committed to investing in the communities within which it operates and believes in enriching and impacting these communities meaningfully.

This has led to a firm understanding of local needs and the purpose of meeting broader social obligations that ultimately ensure the sustainability of those communities. The overall aim is to achieve sustainable socio-economic development for all beneficiaries in the belief that this will impact positively on the business itself.

Supporting Education Development

Through the Energy Mobility Education Trust, bp Southern Africa invests significantly in initiatives specifically aimed at developing infrastructure and educational programmes in under-resourced schools. Through collaborations with various stakeholders, including the government, private sector and educational institutions, the Energy Mobility Education Trust contributes towards improving the quality of education in science, technology, English and mathematics, while developing a pipeline for universities.
The Energy Mobility Education Trust (EMET) was established by bp Southern Africa in 2014 as part of the restructuring of the company’s BEE portfolio. It is integrally involved in supporting the development of skills in the critical disciplines of Science, Technology, English and Mathematics (STEM), while developing a pipeline for universities, through successful partnerships with Wits University (Targeting Talent Programme), University of Stellenbosch (U-PREP), Rhodes University (Nine-Tenths) and Star Schools, which are focused on black students from underserved areas of South Africa.
To address the scourge of youth unemployment, the Trust also focuses on youth skills development programmes in IT and programming, as well as skills development and formal education for people with disabilities.
To date, about 1400 learners have successfully completed their high school careers, and at present, 90 graduates have earned their qualifications.

Nthuse Foundation

bp Southern Africa is also sponsoring a skills development programme for young people with disabilities in partnership with Nthuse Foundation. Nthuse Foundation is a non-profit organisation which supports children from previously disadvantaged backgrounds who have battled at school and would have never been given an opportunity in life. They are then put on programmes which will enable them to grow and reach their potential. They are equipped with skills that will assist them to find gainful employment. In 2015, we supported 30 young people and spent ~R1m and in 2016 we are supporting 60 learners. The intention is to absorb some of them into bp employment when they finish the programmes. This will also assist us in meeting the 2% target of people with disabilities.

Learner Focus Week

Since 2013, bp Southern Africa has participated as a sponsor in the Learner Focus Week (LFW), which is a Department of Energy (DoE) flagship project focusing on career awareness in the energy sector. The program targets High School learners from underprivileged backgrounds to enter the Science, Technology, Energy and Mathematics (STEM) fields during the winter school holidays.

Nelson Mandela Month

In line with its long-standing commitment to education development, every year bp Southern Africa commemorates Mandela Month through learning improvement initiatives. In 2018, the organisation partnered with the SAME Foundation to refurbish a mathematics classroom at Lofentse Girls School in Orlando East, Soweto, which caters for underprivileged learners.

Skills Development

bp offers a number of exciting opportunities for students and recent graduates through its Graduate Programme.

The programme is targeted at students in their final tertiary year and those who have completed their qualifications but are unemployed. It empowers them with invaluable workplace skills and retains most of them at the end of the programme. Our learnership programme is a structured initiative designed to fast-track the development of previously disadvantaged individuals and give them the tools and experience they need to grow a rewarding career at bp. Learnership candidates get to work on real projects, deliver real results and learn what a career in the oil and gas industry really means.