PWC Business Orientation Programme (BOP)
The purpose of the business orientation course is to promote the accounting and auditing profession; we encourage previously disadvantaged students to follow this career; we also want to create an awareness of the business and financial environment. The content of the programme includes introductions to the auditing profession and to the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. There are also five specific skill areas:
- an introduction to computers
- business etiquette: the customary rules of polite behaviour among the members of the profession or group
- setting up a mock business (not a real business but arranged for training)
- preparing for an interview, and
- drawing up a CV in a business environment.
Who can apply to attend BOP?
The people that we would like to see on this course are previously disadvantaged BCom Accounting students in their first year, and Grade 11 students with similar backgrounds. The programme is currently run in Gauteng, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and the Western Cape. The timing of the course is different in the various regions.
The objectives of the course
The central objective of BOP is to help students to understand the financial environment better. The course aims to create awareness of the various systems and structures in business. Students can use this understanding to interpret financial information that is generally available; for example, they will learn to follow the economic indicators: these are statistics that show the condition or level of the economy of a company or of the country. They include the prices of shares, the inflation rate and the value of the rand in comparison with the US dollar.
We also encourage students to become interested in the financial world and how it works. We may convince the brightest ones to become Chartered Accountants; this will strengthen the profession in which we work. The last but not least important objective would be to identify possible African, Coloured and Asian candidates who could be involved with the firm; PwC can be offer bursaries for excellent candidates, continued vacation work, training and ultimately employment.