Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training in collaboration with Eastern Cape Department of Education and Buffalo City Municipality handed out over one hundred bursaries to former scholars at East London's City Hall recently.
Bursary recipients are greatful for the full bursaries they receive, however the lack of support to take interns from the private sector is crippling the theoretical knowledge they gain over the three years of their full time studies.
The Department of Higher Education and Training has come up with a solution and now has a programme running called National Skills Development Strategy III (NSDS III). Their main mission is to "increase access to high quality and relevant education and training and skills development opportunities, including workplace learning and experience, to enable effective participation in the economy and society by all South Africans and reduce inequalities."
Shocking statistics revealed that over 3 million young people between the age of 18-24, are not at school, not at higher education and not disabled, but are sitting at home for one common reason – lack of funds to get an education.
This leads to a whole host of other problems e.g. crime. Nzimande went on to say "we have to provide for all school leavers no matter if they passed matric or left before that. We will provide opportunities for everybody."
Nzimande urged companies to continue with the support they have been giving to their graduates and later on said "together we can make every work place a training space."
He was so pleased to announce that there are R77 million worth of bursaries for disabled students in universities and 50 million for honours, doctorates and masters.
A bursary recipient, Yolisa Cuba thanked Nzimande on behalf of all the bursary recipients, saying "This bursary will allow us to live our dreams, we promise not to fail you, we will honour our commitment."
