Pretoria - South African Airways (SAA) introduced a group of girl learners to the exciting world of aviation when it hosted them as part of the Take a Girl Child to Work Day initiative.
“Hosting the group of girls forms part of our efforts to interest young people in the exciting world of aviation.
“We have a number of youth programmes in place such as learnerships, the apprenticeship programme and a graduate programme with which we empower the youth,” said Lusanda Jiya, General Manager: Shareholder and Stakeholder Relations at SAA.
The initiative -- which is now in its 14th year -- is an annual event initiated by Cell C to give young girls a chance to spend a day in different career environments to see what options are open to them.
The group of 20 girls from Charlotte Maxeke Secondary School in Tembisa participated in an exciting programme at SAA and its technical division, SAA Technical, where they were introduced to the exciting aspects of aviation.
The learners had the opportunity to see how a flight simulator works and were inspired by female leaders in the airline who have made their mark in the world of aviation.
“We hope that the young girls have learnt that aviation holds many exciting possibilities. We believe that with all these initiatives, we make a valuable contribution to pique the interest of learners in aviation as a career choice – a clever one, since aviation is growing in leaps and bounds,” said Jiya.
Dti hosts 16 learners
Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) on Thursday hosted 16 girls from various schools in Pretoria as part of the initiative.
The day’s programme included a presentation of the dti’s mandate, internship and bursary opportunities on offer by department. Learners were also allocated to the department’s professionals, whom they shadowed for the remainder of the day to get on-the-job exposure.
“You are at the exciting stage in your lives because of the vast opportunities that are available to you. Some of these opportunities were not as easily accessible during my time of study,” the dti’s Group Chief Operating Officer Jodi Scholtz told the learners.
She told the learners that the green industries and agro-processing were some of the key areas of economic potential that girl learners can identify for their career paths. These industries form part of government’s economic development strategy and are guaranteed to present many opportunities in future.
One of the learners from Mamelodi High School, Surprise Nchabeleng, said being part of the dti’s Take a Girl Child to Work Day programme has taught her that choosing a career requires passion, dedication and an informed attitude.
“Being part of this programme has orientated me to what the dti aims to achieve for South Africa. It also exposed me to the multiple services that the department renders. My expectations were met,” said Nchabeleng.
The Take a Girl Child to Work initiative has become a respected movement aimed at imparting knowledge to girl children. – SAnews.gov.za
