Eastern Cape Department of Transport’s contribution to skills development has received appreciation from key stakeholders following a graduation of students who formed part of it Learnership programme in King Williams Town on Monday.
This comes after the graduation of learners who participated in the department’s Human Resources NQF5 Level. Following a series of learning programmes, theory and practical sessions, learners were awarded with their certificates by the University of Fort Hare.
Congratulating the learners for their graduation, Transport and Safety MEC, Ghishma Barry said: “We can only be able to ensure quality service delivery through transportation excellence if our human resources machinery is well oiled to undertake such mammoth task. As the department we will continue to encourage officials to go through these programmes.”
Speaking after the graduation ceremony, student Nkosinathi Gege said that the programme helped him and many other learners who were unemployed to change their lives for the better.
“The programme helped me as I was unemployed; there were no chances of employment from where I was even though I had a dream of being educated. The fact that my parents were unemployed meant there were no funds to further my education; with that, chances of employment were slim. I learnt a lot from this programme as we were taken through both theory and practicals,” said Gege.
For Nomazibuko Nkangala, the Department’s Senior Personnel Officer, the programme came at the right time. She said: “As a result of this programme, I am now a better person. I am very excited and ready to contribute towards service delivery programmes of my department to make the lives of our people better. With this information and skills, anything, including rank promotion, is possible.”
One of the graduates, Pumela Kadeni, says the next step for her is to get full-time employment to implement her knowledge and skills from the programme.
The programme was a joint initiative between the Eastern Cape Department of Transport and the University of Fort Hare’s Transversal Training Management Agency. The programme’s focus was on Human Resources Learnership NQF Level 5.
According to the department’s Head of Human Resource Development, Nomvuyo Bono, learners to participate in this programme were recruited from rural areas and from the department.
“For us as the province to defeat the vicious cycle of poverty, we need to ensure that our children have skills. If we don’t develop their skills, we will scream skills development 45 years down the line,” said Bono, adding that the graduates will have to determine their future and use their skills to benefit their families.
Issued by: Department of Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
21 October 2009
Source: Department of Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
(http://www.ectransport.gov.za/)
