George Mayor Honors Skills Development Graduates with Certifications

In an effort to enhance the employability and skills of residents in George, South Africa, Executive Mayor Ald Jackie Von Brandis, along with Ward 9 Councillor Thembinkosi Lento, recently recognized the successful completion of various skill-enhancing courses by a number of local residents. The ceremony was a testament to the collaborative efforts of civic leaders and private partners in fostering community development through education and training.

The training initiative, offered by Ululo Empowerment Technologies, was strategically facilitated by Cllr Lento using Ward Committee funding. He reached out to the iHub in Thembalethu, a centre managed by Sivuyo Ngcwangu, with the aim to maximise the impact on the community. This choice of collaboration proved to be fruitful when the owner of Ululo, drawing on her own past as a trainee, agreed to support the endeavor.

The selection process nominated by Cllr Lento saw 110 residents from his ward benefit from this opportunity. The courses, designed to be intensive and practical, encompassed areas that are vital to the current job market, such as Merchandising, Data Capturing, as well as Basic and Advanced Computer Skills.

During the celebratory event, the positive outcomes of the program were highlighted, with Cllr Lento proudly announcing that several graduates were already applying their newfound skills in the workforce. Such news was met with positive accolades from Mayor Von Brandis, who underlined the graduates' determination to empower themselves, and acknowledged the role of the skills training in their journey to employment.

Success stories from these programs exemplify the Mayor's point of view that each certificate awarded is not just a piece of paper but a stepping stone toward a better life. The Mayor aligned this triumph with the broader economic goals for the region, including poverty reduction and job creation, casting the training as a critical strike against the high unemployment rates in the nation.

In total, the program has successfully seen half of its participants employed, a significant achievement in today's competitive job market. Both the Mayor and Cllr Lento's vision for skills training as a vehicle for socioeconomic upliftment is indeed becoming a reality, with hopes that this model of local development can be replicated in other areas as well.