Learnership 1000

Introduction

Learnership 1000 is a provincial project implemented by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) in partnership with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). The project is classified as a poverty alleviation programme that seeks to change the lives of previously disadvantaged communities within our province.

This project was launched on the 16 June 2006 (Youth Day), with FET Colleges being identified as the preferred training providers.

Aim

The project aims to provide training and employment to one thousand learners within the Western Cape. Fifty percent (50%) of the learners targeted are located within the Rural regions of the Western Cape and the other fifty percent (50%) within the Urban regions.

Categories

Learnership 1000 is divided into two broad categories, namely, eight hundred (800) Trade Specific Learnerships and two hundred (200) New Venture Creation (NVC) Learnerships.

The 800 Trade Specific Learnerships were launched at the beginning of July 2006 and the 200 NVC Learnerships are scheduled to be launched during November 2006.

FET Colleges are the preferred training providers for the project and as stated previously the 800 learners have already commenced the programme with more than 80% of those learners occupying college hostels. The colleges are also responsible for providing meals to all the learners daily.

Current Status

Soon the first set of learners, who have already received the institutional training, will be ready to enter the On-the-Job component of the training.

Conclusion

This is a truly remarkable project and addresses the heart of a common South African reality, namely, physical hardship and poverty, lack of skills and unemployment. FET Colleges, therefore, are extremely proud to be part of Government’s solution to poverty alleviation and unemployment.