Jess Roussos, through BluLever, is revolutionising vocational training in South Africa by providing youths with artisan skills and opportunities.
In 2018, Jess Roussos recognised a challenge she could no longer ignore. South Africa was grappling with a youth unemployment rate of nearly 55%, while industries faced a severe shortage of qualified artisans. The average age of an artisan was 55, and despite significant government investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, fewer than five per cent of graduates qualified fully. Employers had lost confidence in vocational training, and young people were leaving colleges without the skills required to secure meaningful jobs.
Roussos, whose career spanned marketing, education, startups, and content production, saw that the system was broken. She believed vocational training could offer more than just technical instruction — it could shape employable, ethical professionals prepared for the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Guided by this conviction, she co-founded BluLever Education in Johannesburg with Adam Collier.
BluLever was built to address these systemic failures and create a new model of trust between apprentices and employers. Its approach goes beyond technical training to incorporate life skills, soft skills, entrepreneurship, and adaptability. At its core is the Leadership Base Camp, an intensive eight-week readiness program. Apprentices spend four weeks in residential training focused on essential life and work skills, followed by four weeks on campus, combining learning with shadowing qualified professionals. This stage not only equips young people with the mindset and employability traits demanded by industry but also allows them to test their commitment to their chosen trade before beginning a three-year apprenticeship.
The apprenticeships themselves are tightly aligned with industry. For example, BluLever’s plumbing program is a three-year professional qualification at NQF 4 level, blending campus-based instruction with employer-based training. Apprentices spend 75% of their time in the workplace, applying technical skills while developing professionalism and problem-solving abilities.
Since launch, BluLever has placed more than 200 apprentices with over 60 employers, maintaining a 100% placement rate. Graduates leave with professional accreditation, and many experience projected income increases of up to 190% over the course of their training. Employers, once sceptical of vocational graduates, are regaining confidence in the system thanks to BluLever’s industry-driven approach.
At the centre of this progress is Jess Roussos’s leadership. As co-CEO, she oversees strategy, operations, stakeholder engagement, and brand development, while also shaping organisational culture. Her academic background — an MBA paired with a Master’s in Creative Writing — complements her wide-ranging professional experience in sales, marketing, education, and entrepreneurship, giving her the versatility to balance vision with execution. Her commitment lies in advancing human capital development and creating artisans who are not only technically proficient but also ethical and adaptable.
BluLever has also championed gender inclusion in trades historically dominated by men through its Women on Tools initiative, which opens pathways for women to enter and thrive in vocational careers.
The model has attracted international recognition, including investment from the Autodesk Foundation to expand trade programs and extend BluLever’s reach. Over the next decade, the organisation aims to train more than 22,000 South Africans and scale its model across Africa, equipping a new generation of artisans for industries critical to the continent’s growth and the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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