Employee Engagement

Microsoft is committed to supporting and encouraging employees to dedicate time and expertise to community development. Through the Employee Involvement Program, Microsoft aims to offer employees with an additional opportunity for personal and professional development, to apply and develop their skill set through cross-group collaboration, teamwork with colleagues and partners in the community, to expand personal horizons outside the Microsoft environment. Below projects that were initiated by Microsoft employees:

Kenton Community Centre

Led by Colette Damant, this project was initiated by a group of retirees in Kenton who had the vision to teach basic computer skills to the local schools and communities of Ekuphumleni and Marselle, adjoining the Kenton and Bushman's villages. The Kenton Community Computer Centre project got off the ground in 2004 as a result of a donation of 10 brand new computers that was made by the Buckley School (an American school) to the community. The establishment of the Centre was made possible by the generosity of many organisations such as, the Lion’s Club Kenton, Pam Golding, Round Table, Chubb, Bushman’s Caravan Park, D&A in Kenton, Waltons, Microsoft South Africa and other local business people.

Makhosini Dlamini and Kelebogile Phiri

Makhosini Dlamini, a graduate of the Microsoft Graduate Academy Class of 2006 and a Consultant in the MCS department started offering Saturday Computer Classes to cleaners, security personnel and canteen staff members in March 2007. He was joined in May 2007 by Kelebogile Phiri, a graduate of the Microsoft Graduate Academy Class of 2005 and a Technical Account Manager in the MCS department.

The Microsoft Graduate Academy, now the Student2Business program (www.student2business.co.za) provides training and employment opportunities to IT graduates from groups that were disadvantaged during the apartheid era. The program has been running since 2004. Makhosini and Kelebogile are extending the opportunity they were afforded to those that are less fortunate than them.

To date two groups of 33 people have been trained. Each group went through 6 days (Saturdays) of training. They are using the Digital Literacy Curriculum for the training. Makhosini and Kelebogile are planning to extend training to schools in support of the Partners in Learning program.

Junior Achiever

Junior Achiever ran a Success Skills program from 25-28 September 2007. This was a Microsoft sponsored program where learners from Minerva high school interacted with Microsoft employees. Among the topics covered were Attitude/Presenting yourself, on the last day there was a discussion panel which also consisted of Microsoft employees. Microsoft employees were fielding questions on various aspects of their areas of expertise, mostly centred on career paths.

Minerva High School

Microsoft South Africa has, through the Adopt a School program adopted Minerva high School in Alexandra. Our aim is to make the school a model school for learning, and there are different initiatives aimed at improving the school. These initiatives are driven through the Employee Volunteerism program. One of the first Business Units within Microsoft to volunteer their time is the Business and Marketing Organization. During their annually off site meeting, this unit dedicated a day out of their schedule to plant a vegetable garden at Minerva. This activity went well and the vegetables planted will be ready for harvesting soon. In the new calendar year, more business units will schedule group activities aimed at helping Minerva become a model school, some of the activities will include painting of the school, fixing the computer lab and making the library functional.