The Engen Computer School in Wentworth recently held a graduation ceremony for 80 proud community members who received certificates for completing various computer and business skills courses.

The Engen Computer School offers members of the local community introductory-level computer skills training, which cover nine units of the National Certificate: Information Technology: End User Computing. 

Over the past decade, Engen’s free computer skills training school has transformed many lives in South Durban by giving over 1 700 students the confidence and knowledge to go out and secure jobs that would otherwise never have been possible.

To attend the Engen Computer School, applicants must be unemployed school-leavers and reside in the South Durban area. While matric and age criteria are not prescribed, most students who attend the school are aged from 20 to 40.

While statistics are incomplete due to the difficulty of keeping track of everyone who graduates, over the past two years 77 students have secured jobs or have been accepted into learnership programmes after completing the course. Last year 12 students found jobs during their training.

Sheryl Casalis, training director of Added Advantage Academy, which has provided the training since 2009, says two four-month courses are offered per annum each accommodating 80 people. Engen invests approximately R15 000 per student to attend the course.

“The competency rate for students is between 94% and 96% by the time they complete the course,” says Casalis. “Upon graduation they are computer literate individuals able to work independently using the most common computer programmes utilised in offices today.”

The second course for 2018 commenced on 2 July and has 79 attendees.

Engen’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, Adhila Hamdulay says the Engen Computer Centre is well known in the community and always has a waiting list of people wanting to upskill themselves by attending the course.

Hamdulay says Engen is both proud and humbled to play a role in changing lives in South Durban South, where the Engen Refinery is located.

“With poverty and unemployment rife in South Africa, Engen is cognisant of the fact that the government cannot be relied on to provide solutions alone.

“As such, we are committed to stepping up and doing the right thing, starting with paying special attention to the people in the communities in which we operate,” adds Hamdulay.