1. The General Education and Training band (GET) provides the foundation for all human resource development in the province, while the Further Education and Training band (FET) provides opportunities for the further development of specific skills and knowledge required for employment and economic participation.
2. However, data on education levels in the Western Cape indicate that a large number of learners are not retained in the system for more than nine years. Support systems and programmes must therefore be developed to improve the throughput rate of learners and guide them more effectively towards further learning and employment opportunities.
3. In order to achieve this, one of the strategies of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) will be to test the skills, aptitudes and interests of all Grade 8 learners. The results will determine their choice of subjects and even their selection of an institution, e.g. school or FET college, at which to further their studies for the FETC.
4. In support of this initiative a one and a half-day course is being arranged for educators responsible for Life Orientation in high schools. At these courses one GET and one FET educator from each school will be trained to use the nationally approved PACE programme for career guidance and provided with the appropriate material for the implementation of the programme. The full training will be rolled out over a period of three years.
5. As a prelude to the training one of the nominated educators is invited to attend a special function hosted by the organisers of the Careers and Training Expo at the Baxter Theatre on Thursday 5 February 2004. The WCED will reimburse educators for their travelling costs.
6. The PACE programme is available in both electronic and hard copy versions. All schools with appropriate computer facilities will be issued with the electronic version. The content of the programme is designed to meet the learning outcomes as specified in the Life Orientation learning area. The aim is to ensure that every learner has a portfolio containing evidence of his or her achievements in preparation for FET or the workplace.
7. HPCSA (the Health Professions Council of South Africa) has evaluated the programme and recommends that it be used qualitatively by trained and knowledgeable persons only. Therefore only educators trained on the PACE programme may administer the learner interest questionnaire.
8. All travel and catering expenditure for these training courses will be paid by the WCED and schools will be informed of the dates and venues as soon as they have been finalised. Educators attending the sessions will be able to take the initial training forward in order to accumulate credits on NQF levels 5 and 6.
9. Principals of all high schools are requested to complete the attached questionnaire and submit it to the Training Project Manager, Ms BJ Prince, Senior Curriculum Planner (Life Orientation and Life Skills: FET) at Head Office by mail, or fax 021 467 2258 or e-mail Brenda Prince at bprince@pgwc.gov.za by no later than 31 January 2004.


SIGNED: J.P. RAULT-SMITH
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2004:01:15

Annexure/Bylae A  (size: 6 KB)