Unique Skills venture helps elevate rural community

A unique skills empowerment pilot project conceived two years ago has enabled the remote Ntabankulu rural folk in the Eastern Cape to boast engineers, IT specialists and even seasoned rural administrators among their own.

Established and funded by the Labour Department through the National Skills Fund, the R4,5 million venture has helped empower both young and old through scholarships, bursaries and job creation opportunities in various sectors.

Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, who last year donated 40 computers to the area’s Ntsikayezwe and Ntabankulu Senior Secondary Schools as part of this development, will on Friday (July 4) officially launch the project at Nkosi Ntsikayezwe Sigcawu’s palace.

The project, which started very small in 2006, has since seen 29 local youths obtain bursaries and enrolled at the country’s various tertiary institutions for studies on scarce and critical skills like engineering, commerce, IT, Agricutlture and science, while 38 have been placed for internship with government departments.

But the multi-faceted drive does not only end there as 32 traditional leaders and their three secretaries are undergoing special training on governance and public administration, while 572 locals also stand to benefit through their 15 co-operatives in the Ntabankulu area.

The government plans to use the success of this project in other areas. Details of the launch are as follows:

Venue :           Ntabankulu Great Place

                        Ntabankulu

Time    :           09h00