Skills Development Training
What we do
People who leave school before grade 12 often do not have the right
qualifications or skills to get a good job or the money
to go on to a Further Education and Training College. Palabora Foundation
has a number of skills development training programmes to improve these people's
chances of working or studying.
The aim of the programmes is to train (mainly unemployed young) people in:
- Building (Community House Building, Construction Masonry)
- Carpentry (Construction Carpentry)
- Cookery (Food Preparation and Cooking)
- Sewing (Garment Making and Designing)
All of our training courses lead to a qualification at NQF Level 2 or higher. Students can use an NQF to help them get a job or a place at college, to obtain a trade qualification with the Department of Labour, or they might choose to start their own business with their new skills.
The courses are also attended by ex-prisoners and those who are required to work by the Correctional Services. Carpentry is popular! A lucky few on the Food Preparation & Cooking course find placements with our partner, Forever Resorts, and other hospitality product owners.
The training courses normally last 5 to 6 months and include a short course on small business management. The induction includes information about career opportunities. Trainees pay a small fee towards the costs of the course, but most of the costs are paid by the Palabora Foundation. There is a graduation ceremony twice a year to honour the trainees who successfully complete their course.
About the courses
All the NQF courses are unit standards based. Credits are awarded differently on each course.
Construction courses
When students earn a certificate in Construction Carpentry and Masonry, they are working towards a range of construction national qualifications. We can also help with arranging Trade Tests with Olifantsfontein.
Short courses are also offered. For more information, call Jerry Jantjies (015 769 4664) or Jack Maseta (015 769 1296).
Community House Building (NQF level 2)
Credits for this course are as follows:
- Fundamental (4) - 19 credits
- Core (10) - 70 credits
- Electives (3) - 22 credits
Construction Carpentry (NQF level 3)
Credits for this course are as follows:
- Fundamental (4) - 17 credits
- Core (8) - 58 credits
- Electives (2) - 26 credits
Construction Masonry (NQF level 3)
Credits for this course are as follows:
- Fundamental (4) - 17 credits
- Core (4) - 19 credits
- Electives (5) - 70 credits
Food Preparation and Cooking (NQF level 3)
When students complete this course, they qualify as an Assistant Chef. If they continue their studies at technical college, they can become a Professional Chef.
We provide two sessions of training each day in a well equipped kitchen. Sessions are four hours each.
Students have the chance to gain real experience with one of the Forever Resorts Hotels and Lodges as part of their training.
Credits for this course are as follows:- Core (12) - 28 credits
- Electives (12) - 32 credits
We also offer short courses in Cleaning, Cooking, Baking and Waitressing. For more information, call Pheladi Mogofe on 015 769 5040.
Garment Making and Designing (NQF level 3)
Once students have completed this course, they can continue studies at technical college. Technical colleges offer courses in Fashion Designing and Advanced Clothing & Textile Production.
We offer morning, afternoon and evening classes for this course, which are held at Leboneng Centre (Namakgale) and Rixile Centre (Lulekani).
Credits for this course are as follows:- Core (1) - 12 credits
- Electives (2) - 68 credits
For more information, call Anna Mosoma (015 769 5039) or Jane Rampyapedi (015 781 0116).
Our registrations and accreditations
The Foundation is registered with the Department of Labour as an accredited service provider (NSF Provider ID No: 708).
We are also in the process of registering with the primary Sector Education Training Authority (SETA); Education, Training and Development Practice (ETDP-SETA); and the ETDP-SETA is currently evaluating the Foundation for accreditation. This will eventually allow the various programmes to be accredited by the Tourism, Hospitality Education Training Authority (THETA), Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA), and the Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leatherwork (CTFL) – SETA.
All Foundation trainers have been trained and accredited as Assessors and also have the necessary skills to develop assessment guidelines and learner materials. Four senior staff members have been accredited as moderators. The Food Preparation and Cooking training centre was upgraded in 2004 to meet the Tourism Hospitality Education Training Authority (THETA) requirementsand has since been totally rebuilt to become one of the best training kitchens in the country.
The Foundation received a grant of R28 895 during 2005 for training conducted during the year. A Workplace Skills Plan for 2005/2006 was submitted to ETDP-SETA.
Run with assistance from the European Union