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Unpaid stipends, no certificates, Carletonville youth up in arms

8th February 2017

By: African News Agency

  

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More than 100 Carletonville youths – who completed a three-month courses in practical skills that included upholstery, sewing, clothing, agriculture, jewellery and cabinet-making – are up in arms because the Gauteng department of education has not given them certificates.

All in all about 115 youths from Khutsong attended the courses designed and developed by the Gauteng City Region Academy (GCRA) – a unit within Gauteng department of education. GCRA promotes quality education, training and skills development for young people in the province.

Speaking to the African News Agency (ANA) at the weekend some of the affected youths said the department had also failed to make good on its promise that it would give each student a monthly stipend for the duration of the courses, which began in September 2016.

Monwabisi Khanyile, who completed the GCRA development training course said: “We started with the course training in September, one month for theory and two for practicals”.

Khanyile said the department promised the students a stipend of R500 a month. He said the department also told them that after completing the courses they would “graduate” and get certificates in December.

“We were promised that after the graduation those who want to study further will be given bursaries, those who want to open their own business were promised that they will register companies for them and those who want to use their hands to work they will help them with the equipment,” claimed Khanyile.

“The place was in a very bad condition, it had no water and that was the biggest challenge especially for women and also it had no electricity and the classes were too small to accommodate all of us.

“We ended up studying in a church and the department had an agreement with the pastor that they will pay rent, but they did not.”

He said the department was no longer answering their queries.

Khanyile, who spoke for a group of students, said they were hoping they will be able to secure jobs after they got their certifications.

Lerato Tshukudu, another student said: “Well I feel betrayed because I invested my time and somehow [got] discouraged…I can’t explain it.”

Contacted for comment, the Gauteng Department of Education’s Acting Spokesperson Oupa Bodibe said: “The department can confirm that indeed the Skills Development programme in Khutsong, Carletonville referred to is managed by GCRA, a unit within the Gauteng Department of Education.”

He said the results were uploaded with Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) Seta and they await verification.

“Accredited certificates will be issued once the verification process has been completed by FP&M Seta in due course,” said Bodibe.

Bodibe said it must be noted that the stipends of R500 per month, for three months will be paid to learners as promised.

“Our Financial management Directorate is busy processing the payment. The department would like to apologise unconditionally to the learners for the delay,”said Bodibe.

Edited by African News Agency

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