The Moses Kotane Institute recently revised its mandate to be more responsive to addressing the issues around shortage of skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

This necessitated that the institute deploys various strategies to expand its reach. Partnerships are important in terms of casting the net wider, one such partnership is that between MKI and the KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier (Poverty Eradication Unit).

The two have partnered to train 500 out -of- school youth in Digital Terrestrial Television migration project. The Poverty Eradication Unit took to the ground on the outskirt districts of the province to carefully screen and select beneficiaries of the programme. The project was financed by the National Skills Fund. Students were selected from Umhlabuyalingana, Vulamehlo (Umdoni), Nkandla, Msinga and Maphumulo local municipalities.

The DTT skills programme focused on two categories; firstly, Business Planning that will enable them to plan and manage their businesses and finances competently and secondly the practical aspects which is the actual digital installation of Set-Top Box (STB). “As the country prepares to migrate from analogue TV to digital TV it is important that our youth is afforded the necessary skills to grab opportunities in this regard.

Given the high rate of unemployment, the DTT skills programme will contribute to the skilling of our young and alleviating their unemployment situation. The programme will empower them to be entrepreneurs and to contribute productively to the analogue to digital TV migration.” Says Mr Ranveer Persad: Acting Chief Executive Officer at MKI.

On 28, 29, 30 and 31 March 2017, the first group of 141 students that have been found competent were presented with certificates and start-up toolkit as part of SMME development. The issuing of the tool-kits took place at Mbazwana Art Centre, followed by Nkandla Multi -Purpose centre, Maphumulo Town Hall and Msinga respectively.

e former Minister of Communications visited the province in December 2016 in order to raise awareness of the project and give her support for this skills programme which she believed will develop youth for an inclusive growth path.