THE START OF SOMETHING GREAT
In a revolutionary initiative meant to upskill Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College students, the City of Johannesburg has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South West Gauteng TVET College (SWGC) to prepare 80 students for the world of work. This comes after numerous talks between the two, to build a partnership deal for work integrated learning opportunities for learners.
The prestigious ceremony held to formalise this new relationship between the two parties was graced by delegates from the City, SWGC as well as other stakeholders linked to the two. Among the attendees were, Councillor Loyiso Masuku the MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services, Leonard Mavuso the Group Head of Human Capital Management, Tersia Groenewald the Acting Deputy Director-Employee Development, Joey Monyamane the SWGC Acting Principal, Zenzele Dlamini the SWGC Chairperson of the Council, to name a few.
The MoU is designed to enhance employability for SWGC students who are marginalised by corporates due to a biased preference for university graduates.
The partnership overlays way for the municipality to put the 80 students through a demanding experiential training programme, with qualified mentors to assist them in all areas of need and will run for a period of 18 months, aimed at bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical know-how.
The internship will cover fields as diverse as Human Resource Management, Public Relations Management, Marketing Management and Financial Management, which will be funded by FoodBev SETA.
Cllr Loyiso Masuku, the Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Group Corporate and Shared Services, says the partnership between these two parties was long overdue.” Working with institutions of higher learning has always been a top priority and standard item in most of the City of Johannesburg meetings”.
He also alluded that the internship is also tailored to address socio-economic ills like unemployment in Johannesburg. “We want to foster relationships with TVET Colleges in Johannesburg by providing enrolled students with relevant workplace experience so they can compete in the marketplace,” Cllr Masuku explains.
According to Tersia Groenewald, the Deputy Director of Corporate and Shared Services there are over 750 interns employed by the Municipality across diverse fields at an estimated annual budget of R46 Million.
The SWGC Acting Principal, Joey Monyamane expressed appreciation for the partnership between the college and the City of Johannesburg. “As a college we are really very much excited and believe that this relationship is a step in the right direction to opening doors for a brighter future for our students. This partnership adds onto the Service Level Agreements the college has with 19 SETA’s in the country. With this kind of opportunities, we can safely say indeed the future looks bright for our students,
“said the Acting Principal.
