For the past three years, 14 dedicated Botrivier residents and associates have been working to bring quality skills education to the village and give young people an alternative to the traditional academic high-school route.
Overberg Our Community Our Future (OOCOF) is working towards establishing the Botrivier School of Skills, an independent, low-fee school for 240 learners over four years of training.
Land has been identified below the proposed Theewaterskloof (TWK) housing development. Before construction can begin, part of the property must be rezoned for educational use and undergo an environmental assessment.
OOCOF is receiving support from the Jakes Gerwel Education Trust in Bonnievale to help lay the groundwork and accelerate the project.
In the meantime, an interim training programme has been launched from a workshop behind Astra Garage. The 12-week programme is for young adults aged 17 to 24 years who are no longer at school and want to explore a future based on practical skills.
Each training cycle accommodates 10 trainees. Initially focussed on workman’s assistant training, it introduces practical, workplace skills and encourages participants to pursue further skills-based education.
Local trainers Frik Jacobs and Andie Coetzee facilitate the programme. Jacobs has extensive experience as a skills trainer in Richards Bay, while Coetzee brings experience from the education department’s district office.
Successful participants will receive a ‘Testament of Attendance' certificate outlining the areas of learning and aptitude they demonstrated. While the document is not an official qualification, OOCOF says it reflects the training programme's seriousness and integrity.
OOCOF hopes the interim programme will help build momentum towards establishing the full school and create new opportunities for young people in Botrivier.
For information about the training programme, phone Manie Carelse at 082 420 4343 or email oocof@outlook.com. Donations can be directed to Ebrahim Khan at 083 259 7425.
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