As part of the commitment to socio-economic development, the Phatshoane Henney Group of Associated Law Firms established the Phatshoane Henney Training Academy in 2014 as a joint venture project with accredited training provider LFP Group Holdings. The intent thereof is to utilize funding leveraged from firms in the Phatshoane Henney Group to fund formal accredited learnership programmes for black disabled learners - and so help address dire skills shortages within our country, and in particular amongst disabled persons. To date the success of the Phatshoane Henney Training Academy has far exceeded the initial expectations, enabling the enrolment in just over one year of the 100th disabled black learner in a formal accredited learnership programme 

“We are overjoyed at the success of our Training Academy,” remarks Douglas Henney, Director and Chair of Phatshoane Henney Attorneys and the Phatshoane Henney Group of Associated Law Firms. “We knew it would take time to get the Training Academy off the ground, but never expected to reach our 100th learner in such a brief period of time. We can only thank each and every firm that has supported the Training Academy and allowed this level of support to persons with a need and will to improve themselves. In this small way we, as a group of law firms, have demonstrated our commitment to the betterment of our county. Of that we should all be proud!”

The Phatshoane Henney Training Academy has focused initially on training learners in business administrative services programmes. “By completing these programmes the learners are equipped with an in-demand accredited qualification on their CVs, allowing them to confidently apply for a competitive position in the workplace,” explains Louis Pulzone, CEO of LFP Group Holdings. “As learners funded through the Phatshoane Henney Training Academy suffer from various forms of physical disability, we have focused our programmes to be specifically geared towards disabled persons, with the aim of enabling said learners to successfully compete in the job market. We also help these learners to partake successfully in our programmes by including travel support, wheelchairs, on-site medical support and more to help limit the physical challenges these learners often face in completing these programmes. As a further value-add we have developed strong relationships with industry partners to recruit and appoint learners completing our programmes, and have had great success with such placements.”

The Phatshoane Henney Training Academy will in September hold its first graduation ceremony of learners who have finalized their learnership programmes through the academy.