The Department of Public Works (DPW) has awarded 40 bursaries to deserving learners of the Matric class of 2015. The R4.8m worth of bursaries were awarded to learners interested in studying for careers in the built industry. The learners come from schools across seven provinces that are participating in the DPW schools programme.
The core function of the schools programme is to develop and nurture scarce skills as part of DPW’s ongoing transformation process of the Built Industry. The bursary programme, introduced in 2013, forms part of the department’s seven-year turnaround strategy to identify and harness scarce skills in the Built industry. It has benefitted more than 130 academically and financially-deserving 1st year learners from disadvantaged communities with opportunities to study built industry degrees at different tertiary institutions. The DPW has also funded more that 100 other students in their 2nd and 3rd years of of study.
Another purpose of the programme is to highlight the department’s mandate and contribution towards improvement of socio-economic factors such as youth empowerment, poverty alleviation, job creation, women empowerment and monetary relief for disadvantaged communities to enable them to further their studies. This programme forms part of a partnership between the department and the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA).
The bursary is valued at R130 000 for each learner and covers tuition, accommodation, meals, textbooks, academic resources and monthly allowance. This translates to a total of R4, 8 million. There sixteen (16) Females and eighteen (18) Males.
The learners will pursue careers in built or property studies specialising in Engineering, Quality Surveying, Property Valuation, Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Town Planning. They will study at the University of Johannesburg, the University of Cape Town, the University of Pretoria, University of Free State, the University of KZN and Wits University.
This schools programme displays se Department’s commitment tothe development of young people. It also helps the department in fulfilling its mandate of being is to be the state's handyman that maintains and manages the state's immovable assets and infrastructure. This investment in the youth will help increase the scarce skills pool and properly equip the youth with resources to help them become active economic citizens.
Enquiries:
Thami Mchunu
National Department of Public Works
Cell: 079 519 6997
