RES OPENS NEW CAREER PATHWAYS FOR EMPLOYEES THROUGH RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation (RES) has strengthened its commitment to employee development and inclusive career advancement by awarding 82 employees with certificates under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme, recognizing workplace experience as an alternative pathway towards meeting the company’s Form Five qualification requirement.

The certificates were awarded on Friday, 9 October 2026, during a ceremony held at Thembelisha Hall in Simunye, marking another milestone in the company’s efforts to ensure that employees’ skills, knowledge and years of practical experience are recognised and translated into opportunities for career progression. 

RES is the first company in Eswatini to introduce this type of programme, which provides employees who have acquired substantial experience on the job but lack formal academic qualifications with an opportunity to have their competencies formally recognized. 

The initiative offers a pathway for qualifying employees to access permanent employment opportunities within the company, subject to the relevant requirements. 

The programme acknowledges that not everyone has the opportunity to complete formal education, despite possessing the practical skills and experience required to perform their duties effectively. Through RPL, RES is helping to bridge this gap by recognising the value of learning acquired through years of workplace experience. 

Addressing employees during the award ceremony, RES Managing Director, Nick Jackson emphasised the importance of education while acknowledging the circumstances that prevent some people from completing their schooling. 

“Education is important, but not everyone gets the opportunity to go to school. Some people have to take care of their families, and that deprives them of the opportunity to complete their education,” Jackson said. 

He explained that the company introduced the programme to create opportunities for employees who have gained the necessary experience but do not possess the Form Five certificate traditionally required for certain employment opportunities at RES. 

“The company introduced the programme to award certificates recognising employees’ experience, equivalent to Form Five.  

This opens opportunities for those who do not have a Form Five certificate but have the relevant job experience to be considered for permanent employment,” he said. 

Jackson’s remarks highlighted the company’s recognition that talent and competence are not determined solely by academic qualifications, but can also be developed through practical experience, dedication and years of service. 

The RPL programme was first implemented in 2025, when 81 employees received certificates. Of these, 13 have already secured permanent employment in 2026, demonstrating the programme’s potential to translate recognition into tangible career opportunities. 

This year’s award of certificates to a further 82 employees brings the total number of beneficiaries to 163 since the programme began. 

Beyond the certificates themselves, the initiative represents an investment in the people whose experience and contribution help sustain the company’s operations. It also provides employees with renewed confidence to pursue opportunities that may previously have appeared beyond their reach because of their academic backgrounds. 

For the beneficiaries, the ceremony was an emotional and significant occasion, with several employees describing the certificates as a turning point in their working lives. 

Bongani Tfwala, an Agriculture General Labourer, said receiving the certificate made him feel as though he were celebrating his birthday. 

Tfwala expressed happiness at finally having formal recognition of the knowledge and experience he had acquired through his work. He said the certificate gave him renewed hope of being considered for permanent employment and opened the door to possibilities he had long anticipated. For him, the award was more than a document; it was recognition of his abilities and an opportunity to pursue a more secure future. 

Zodwa Dludlu, a General Labourer in the Factory Raw House, also expressed her appreciation to the RES Managing Director and the company at large, describing the programme as evidence that the company was putting its commitment to employees into practice. 

She referred to the message, “I am seen, I am heard and I am valued,” which had been sung across the company during the previous week’s culture feedback activities. Dludlu said the message had become a reality for her and her fellow beneficiaries, as the certificates demonstrated that their contributions and experiences were being acknowledged. 

She likened her experience to the biblical account of the man who had been ill for 38 years and waited by the Pool of Bethesda for an opportunity to be healed. In the Gospel of John, Jesus encounters the man and changes his circumstances, giving him hope after years of waiting. 

For Dludlu, the story captured the significance of the opportunity RES had provided. After years of waiting for a chance to advance, she felt that the programme had finally brought an answer to a long-held hope. 

Her remarks reflected the emotional significance of the initiative for employees who have continued serving the company while hoping for an opportunity to improve their employment prospects. 

Njabulo Dlamini, an Assistant at the Mhlume Conditioning Plant, said he was excited about receiving the certificate, explaining that it would enable him to apply for job opportunities within the company for which he might previously have been ineligible because he did not possess the required formal qualification. 

He said the recognition gave him a chance to compete for available positions and pursue permanent employment, expressing hope that his practical experience would now receive the consideration it deserved. 

Similarly, Nelisiwe Sibandze, a Water Resources Pump House Attendant, expressed gratitude to Jackson and the company for introducing the initiative. 

Sibandze said the opportunity felt as though the Managing Director had understood what was in her heart. She also acknowledged the support of her family, who had stood by her while she waited for an opportunity that could improve her employment prospects. 

Her appreciation underscored the wider significance of the programme, which extends beyond individual employees to the families who depend on them and share in their aspirations for greater financial stability. 

The experiences of the beneficiaries demonstrate how the recognition of prior learning can help address barriers to career advancement by giving practical experience a formal place in employment decisions. 

For employees who have spent years developing their skills on the job, the programme offers an opportunity to have their knowledge acknowledged and to pursue positions for which formal academic qualifications have traditionally been a requirement. 

The initiative also reinforces the importance of investing in existing employees, whose familiarity with company processes, operational demands and workplace standards represents valuable institutional knowledge. 

By recognising this experience, RES is creating a pathway through which employees can build on the skills they already possess while pursuing further career opportunities. 

The award ceremony therefore marked more than the presentation of certificates. It celebrated the potential of employees whose educational journeys may have been interrupted by family responsibilities or other circumstances, but whose commitment to work has enabled them to acquire valuable skills over time. 

As the programme continues, its impact will be measured not only by the number of certificates awarded, but also by the opportunities it creates for employees to progress, secure permanent employment and build more stable futures for themselves and their families. 

For the 82 employees who received certificates on 9 October, the occasion marked the recognition of experience gained over years of service and the beginning of a new chapter in their pursuit of career advancement at RES.