By Mandla Khoza
Mbombela - Young people in Mpumalanga have a new avenue where they can get help with bursaries, learnerships and internships.
The Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP-SETA) has opened an office in Mbombela.
ETDP-SETA chief executive Nombulelo Nxesi on Thursday encouraged the youth to visit the provincial office to apply for bursaries, internships and learnerships to “better their lives and those of their communities”.
“The government has availed opportunities for you to fight poverty because our aim is for you to be employable and also manage to open your own businesses," said Nxesi.
She said a range of bursaries focusing on scarce skills are available for either Further Education and Training colleges or universities, and that ETDP-SETA has trained more than 5 000 young people around the country in the past two years.
The ETDP-SETA bursaries aim to provide opportunities for workers and unemployed learners in the education, training and development (ETD) sector to gain qualifications in scarce and critical skills at both intermediate and higher levels.
Bursaries are awarded in the following programmes: National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE) and Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE); B.Ed Mathematics and Science; B.Ed Foundation Phase; Certificate in Education; B Com; BSc Applied Mathematics; Masters in Commerce; ACE in Leadership and Management; Computer Studies; Human Resources Management, and Public Finance.
According to the ETDP-SETA website, selection criteria include the following:
- The applicant’s academic ability.
- Eligibility for an approved degree or PGCE in one of the priority areas.
- Commitment to a teaching career, which includes: interest in working with young people; enthusiasm for a professional career in teaching; readiness to face and surmount difficult challenges; and personal integrity.
- Commitment to teach in any school to which a student may be appointed by a Provincial Education Department.
Nxesi said they took a decision to open offices in all nine provinces to ensure young people can readily access information about the programmes available.
Sipho Maluka, 23, who attended the launch, said the ETDP-SETA office was important for young people in Mpumalanga.
“I only used to hear about SETA on the radio and in newspapers, but now that they are here, we believe we can learn more about it and benefit from what they offer," said Maluka, who had to drop out of an FET college because of lack of funds.
"I believe next year I will not have to stop in the middle of the year and go look for work to finance my studies,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
