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Employer Partner Brief
Now accepting WIL partners
Digital Work Readiness Programme

You get a pre-verified
digital hire. We handle
everything else.

ShiftMate Academy places Work Integrated Learning candidates into your business — people who have already passed six assessed digital skills modules and a foundation programme before they walk through your door. No recruitment cost. No minimum of ten slots. No mountains of paperwork.

Recruitment cost
Zero
Minimum slots
Just one
B-BBEE impact
Skills Dev points
Admin
Host portal + 3 check-ins
Grow someone into
the right role.
No recruitment cost. No minimum slots. Just a real person — verified, trained, and ready to contribute from day one.
Request more info →
or
Speak to our team
We respond within 2 business days
Download Employer Brief (PDF)Read the candidate programme
Work Integrated Learning

What is WIL — and why does it matter?

Work Integrated Learning is a formal, structured model in which a learner applies skills developed through training inside a real work environment — under the guidance of a workplace mentor — for a defined period.

WIL is not a shadow programme. It is not a volunteer placement. It is not an internship where the learner watches. It is structured, evidenced work — done in your environment, recorded in activity logs, reviewed at defined milestones, and tied to a nationally recognised competency framework.

The candidate holds a verified SFIA Level 2 credential when they arrive. The WIL period is where they grow to SFIA Level 3 — the standard that qualifies them for permanent employment in your team.

Standard InternshipShiftMate WIL
Entry standardCV-based selection6 assessed digital skill modules
Work assignedWhatever is availableReal tasks matched to SFIA standards
EvidenceNone formallyLogs, mentor sign-offs, task outputs
Credential earnedLetter of experienceSFIA Level 3 verified credential
Hire outcomeUncertainYou decide at Day 90 with full evidence
Why WIL produces better hires
You observe actual performance — not a 45-minute interview.
The candidate already knows your team, your systems, your expectations.
No onboarding surprises — 3–5 months of evidence before the hire decision.
The evidence trail gives you an objective record to stand behind.
The deal in plain terms

What you get, what you commit to, and how it ends.

What you get
A pre-assessed candidate matched to a specific role in your business
Zero recruitment cost — no ads, no CV screening, no agency fee
B-BBEE Skills Development points on your scorecard
A structured working trial — typically 3–5 months — before any employment commitment
A dedicated host portal with real-time visibility of candidate logs, mentor reviews, and check-in progress
ShiftMate oversight at Day 30, Day 60, and Day 90
First right to hire at the end of WIL
What you commit to
One workplace mentor — an existing team member who supervises the learner
Weekly mentor sign-off on the candidate's activity log — automated reminders sent by ShiftMate
3 structured check-in forms at Day 30, 60, and 90 — we send them, you complete them (around 10 minutes each)
Real work for the learner — they do the actual job, not a shadow programme
A fair assessment at Day 90 — would you employ this person?
As few as one WIL slot — no minimum number
How it ends
01You hire them. Offer a contract. They already know the role and your team.
02They move on. No obligation. They receive their verified portfolio. You sign off.
03You extend WIL. Some employers extend before converting. Supported by ShiftMate.

There is no obligation to hire. The employment decision is yours. But after 3–5 months of working alongside someone, most employers have a clear answer before the question comes up.

Who is arriving at your door

Not a graduate.
Not a risk.

Every WIL candidate arrives with a documented, verified competency profile. They have completed a structured programme before your business is involved — not as part of it.

The assessment is skills-based, not qualification-based. A candidate may not have matric — but they have demonstrated, under assessment conditions, that they can communicate professionally, handle digital systems, manage support incidents, and work with data responsibly.

B-BBEE Skills Development impact

WIL placements qualify as registered learnerships under the B-BBEE Skills Development element. Evidence is milestone-based — tied to verified completions and employment outcomes, not just enrolment hours. Full B-BBEE framework detail is in the downloadable brief.

Before they reach you, they have completed
Foundation4 weeks of work readiness, digital basics, and professional communication — assessed and passed
SFIA L2 ×6Six digital skills modules — each with a knowledge test, four AI-scored tasks, and a workplace scenario
Trial ShiftA 1–2 week working interview with a real employer — they have already performed under observation
VerifiedIdentity, SA citizenship, age (18–34), and unemployed status confirmed
The 6 SFIA Level 2 skills they hold on arrival
CCOMCustomer Communications
IMGTIncident Management
USUPIT User Support
DATQData Quality
DIGTDigital Tools & Systems
INASOnline Safety & Security
Your experience as a partner

What a WIL placement looks like from your desk.

Before day one
ShiftMate sends you 2–3 matched candidate profiles
You confirm which candidate you want to host
We send the Tripartite Training Agreement for your signature
Your mentor is briefed by ShiftMate — 30-minute onboarding call
Days 1–30
Learner joins your team — real role, real desk, real tasks
Mentor sets SFIA Level 3 targets for the placement
Weekly activity logs begin — ShiftMate sends automated reminders to keep things on track
No formal check-in form yet — this is the settling-in period
Days 31–90
Two check-in forms: Day 30 and Day 60 — around 10 minutes each
ShiftMate monitors progress in real time and contacts you if anything needs attention
Learner handles real complexity — not just routine tasks
Day 90+
Day 90 check-in — the final one. Includes your employment assessment.
ShiftMate compiles the independently verifiable, SFIA-aligned milestone evidence pack
You make the employment decision — hire, extend, or close
If you hire: we handle the transition documentation
Employer questions

The five questions
every employer asks.

We've heard them all. Straight answers — no marketing language.

Get the full brief

6-page PDF covering WIL explained in detail, the full candidate competency profile, B-BBEE scorecard framework, and step-by-step next steps.

Download Employer Brief (PDF)
Q1
Do I have to hire them at the end?
No. There is no obligation to hire. The employment decision is entirely yours at Day 90. Most employers who complete WIL have a clear answer by then — because they've worked with the person for four months.
Q2
What if the learner doesn't perform, or stops showing up?
This is what the Day 30 check-in is designed to catch. If there's a performance or attendance issue early, ShiftMate intervenes. If a placement genuinely isn't working by Day 30, we work with you to replace the candidate.
Q3
How many slots do I have to offer?
One. There is no minimum. ShiftMate's platform handles aggregation across multiple employers — so a single slot from your business is still viable and still counts.
Q4
Who is responsible for compensating the candidate during WIL?
The employer pays the candidate's salary for the WIL period. Remuneration is agreed at partner agreement stage — confirmed before Day One — based on the role level and applicable sector norms. ShiftMate covers the costs of the training programme. WIL is an employment relationship between you and the candidate.
Q5
What admin do I actually have to do?
A one-page Tripartite Training Agreement at the start. A 30-minute mentor onboarding call. Weekly sign-off on the candidate's structured activity log — ShiftMate sends automated reminders, so you are not chasing anything. Three check-in forms across the WIL period, each around 10 minutes. You also have real-time access to the host portal throughout — but using it is your choice, not a requirement.
Now accepting WIL partners

Make a real difference.
Grow people into the right roles.

One slot is enough to change a trajectory. Request more info and a ShiftMate team member will walk you through the process — or speak to us directly if you'd prefer a conversation.

Zero
Recruitment cost
2 days
Response time
1 slot
Minimum to start