Page 12 - Eastern Cape Education

Youth trained as Facilities Management Of cers to support school maintenance
A unique initiative was started in 2017 between the Eastern Cape Department of Education (DoE) led by the Of ce of the Premier, SA National Defence Force, and Department of Health. This initiative, which is aligned to the Provincial Youth Strategy, will see close to 5 000 unemployed youth provided with basic skills in plumbing, carpentry, basic electrical and life skills, over a three-year period. Training will be provided by the King Hintsa TVET college. This programme is open to youth across the province who have Grades 7-12 or NCV 1-4 quali cations.
Students undertake their 6-month training at 6SAI military base in Grahamstown and are thereafter placed on the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) where they are deployed as maintenance of cers for an 18-month period to provide maintenance support to schools across the province. They also receive a monthly stipend of R3 000.00 and are managed by the DoE works inspectors at a district level.
Schools are allocated 30% of their annual budget to ensure that assets are maintained and kept in a fair condition. Some of the maintenance to be undertaken by the Facilities Maintenance Of cers includes minor plumbing, repairing broken windows, painting, and maintaining the school grounds. These repairs are to be done by schools from their maintenance budgets.
The programme commenced in 2018 with an intake of 400 students of which 395 successfully completed the programme. The second intake of 400 students started in August 2019 and students graduated on 28 November at a ceremony held in their honour in Makhanda. During the ceremony graduates received work tools, Personal Protective Equipment, training and award certi cates.
We wish these students well in their deployment and trust that they will put their newly acquired skills to good use to ensure that our schools are maintained in tip top shape.
12 | December 2019 | Sakh’isidima news