Pretoria - As the country commemorates Youth Month, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mduduzi Manana, has encouraged learners to apply early for post-school institutions.
The Deputy Minister interacted with learners at Eric Nxumalo Secondary School, Orovhelani High School and Mafemana High School in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.
He told learners to participate in the 2015 Apply Now/Khetha Career Guidance Campaign which is aimed at encouraging learners to apply on time for admission to post-school institutions and thus avert possible stampedes and long queues that take place at the beginning of each academic year.
The Career Guidance component of the campaign seeks to inform learners about career choices available within the post school sector.
It also seeks to inform learners about things to look out for when choosing their institutions of higher learning to avert being conned by unregistered and bogus colleges who offer them unaccredited qualifications.
The roll-out of the campaign is targeted at far-flung and often neglected rural areas, villages and townships to ensure that learners in those areas make informed career choices.
Deputy Minister Manana told learners to consider Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVET) as their alternative to university education because the skills needs of the country necessitate massive production of artisans from colleges.
The Deputy Minister further informed learners that there are currently 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) which are responsible for learnership and other training opportunities for learners who cannot pursue further education and training.
He also had a conversation with more than 1000 learners from Grade 9 to 12 in the rural schools of the Moutse Area and further promoted the “100 Occupations in high demand” list that was released by the Minister in 2014.
This will assist learners to make informed career choices to avoid a situation where they too join a cohort of unemployed and unemployable graduates.
The Deputy Minister also informed learners about the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) which is aimed at assisting poor and deserving students to further their studies within the post-school sector.
NSFAS has to date assisted more than 1.5 million beneficiaries who have since joined the middle class league.
The Department of Higher Education and Training currently runs a Career Development Services Centre to assist learners with career advice.
Learners can access the Career Development Services Centre through SMS or “Please Call Me” at 072 204 5056, telephone 086 999 0123, E-Mail careerhelp@dhet.gov.za, Facebook www.facebook.com/careerhelp, Twitter: http://twitter.com/rsacareerhelp,Website www.careerhelp.org.za, National Career Advice Portal: http://ncap.careerhelp.org.za or Walk-in Centre at 123 Francis Baard Street, Pretoria. - SAnews.gov.za
