Corporate Social Investment

Every Child has the right to an Education - An Introduction to the UCS Solutions Education Trust

The UCS Solutions Education Trust was established in 1999 and is one of the social responsibility initiatives sponsored by the company with the goal of supporting our staff and reaching out to the greater community.

The Trust is funded through monthly staff pledges and annual company grants. Additional funds are raised through a number of creative activities.

The aim of the trust is to award education bursaries for primary and secondary schooling initially and later to follow up with tertiary grants.

R50,359 primary school bursaries have been allocated for 2009, as well as R50,410 for secondary education and R79,300 for tertiary. This year, the Trustees are also examining the possibility of establishing a mentorship program for learners aimed at supporting them throughout the school year and assist them with making decisions regarding their future.

Bursaries are awarded according to criteria, as set out by the Education Trust Rules. Application is open to all interested parties regardless of whether or not the applicant is a relative of a UCS employee. Application forms are sent to staff annually in October and completed forms must be submitted to the Trustees by the end of that school year. UCS tries to work through the applications speedily to be able to give applicants feedback by the end of February of the new school year.

Bursaries range from R90 to R8,000 and we have granted the following amounts in the last few years:

• 2006: R90,450
• 2007: R154,670
• 2008: R169,140
• 2009: R180,069

Learn to Earn - www.learntoearn.co.za

Learn to Earn was established in 1989 as the Baptist Training Centre. It was renamed Learn to Earn in 1995 under the directorship of Roché van Wyk. Since inception, over 7700 people have been trained through Learn to Earn. Learn to Earn has it’s head office in Khayelitsha, a township 30 kilometres from Cape Town. It also has branches in Fisantekraal, a township outside Durbanville and in Hermanus.

UCS Solutions has committed to providing support for a minimum of 3 years, with greater initial support with their Infrastructure requirements. We have also provided funding for 40 students, totaling R150,000, as well as upgrading of their existing Infrastrucute to the value of around R90,000. We also provide ongoing support at a cost of around R16,000.

Since inception, over 8 000 people have been trained through Learn to Earn. We also support Learn to Earn initiatives and work groups, through purchasing their locally produced products.