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Media Release

21 January, 2009

Skills Development to tackle poverty

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is responding to the skills need in the province through various programmes at schools, Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges, Schools of Skill and Adult Education and Training.

Skills development is central to the national and provincial government's plan of action to tackle poverty and the WCED's response to scarce and critical skills needs is aligned to national policies such as the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative (Asgi-SA), the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa), the provincial Micro-Economic Development Strategy (MEDS) and the Provincial Economic Review Outlook (Pero).

Interventions by the WCED include Early Childhood Development, a Literacy and Numeracy Strategy and Special School Projects like Dinaledi Schools to improve the number of learners passing Mathematics and Physical Science.

A total of 45 Dinaledi schools and eight dedicated Mathematics and Science high schools were established in the Western Cape. They were coined "The Dinaledi Schools", meaning "creating tomorrow's stars today". The Dinaledi and MST schools are to become centres of excellence through the provision of teacher development programmes, learner support and suitable resources.

In 2008 the matric enrollment at Dinaledi and MST Schools were 9104 while close to 6000 Grade 12 learners were enrolled at 28 Focus Schools in the province. These Focus Schools, concentrating on Arts and Culture, Business, Commerce and Management and Engineering and Technology, were started in 2005.

The WCED also established Schools of Skills to accommodate learners of school-going age who are not suitably provided for in mainstream schools. In 2008 a total of 4605 learners were enrolled at the 13 schools of skill and a further 684 learners in 5 schools of skills units in the public special schools.

Courses offered in these schools include woodwork/carpentry, bricklaying and plastering work, welding, tiling, house keeping, needlework and clothing, hairdressing, computer work and computer typing, motor mechanics, handyman, panel beating and spray painting, upholstery and gardening/agriculture.

Adult Education and Training (previously referred to as Adult Basic Education and Training) courses offer ABET Level 1-4 (which is equivalent to Grade 1-9) and Grade 10-12 and five electives in Formal Accredited Skills Based Learning Areas, including Technology, Applied Agriculture and Agriculture Technology, Travel and Tourism, Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises and Ancillary Health Care.

Other programmes include Language, Literature and Communication, sewing classes, tourism-related skills and basic ICT.

Adult learning centres have partnerships with the business sector and all government departments, such as SMME courses with businesses and the Ancillary Health Care (AHC) with the Department of Health.



Issued by:
Paddy Attwell
Director: Communication
Western Cape Education Department
Tel: 021 467 2531
Fax: 021 461 3694
Email: pattwell@pgwc.gov.za

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