Progress Report

An advertisement in The Star of 10 October 2001 invited applications from previously disadvantaged individuals for the free training programme. Applicants had to be unemployed and in possession of a matriculation certificate. From the 186 applications received, 100 candidates were selected and submitted to a battery of competency tests (approved by the Department of Labour). The testing took place from the 10th to the 14th of December 2001 and was administered by a registered clinical psychologist.

Based on the results of the tests, a group of 30 was selected to embark on the intensive, free training programme. The complete programme consists of two parts:

Firstly, candidates receive technical training in the following areas: 

• Module One: Basic Computer Literacy Skills 

• Module Two: Advanced Computer Literacy Skills 

• Module Three: Fundamentals of Business and Economics 

• Module Four: Communication Skills.

Secondly, they receive training to prepare them to act as trainers and entrepreneurs.

The group has completed the above four modules and based on their results, and after interviewing all candidates, ten were selected for the final part of the training programme. 

The ten candidates selected after Phase 3: BP Ntinjana, ID Seloane, LJ Makena, MH Masemola, NL Mnguni, N Nxumalo, LR Shongwe, KJ Jiyane, MS Mothapo and LO Ramahali.  In the front right is Caroline Mafoko responsible for marketing research at IMI.  

UniSchool has entered the final phase of the SDI project that has started in October 2001, and received financial funding from the ISETT SETA in July 2002.

Contracts have been negotiated with the communities of Leandra, Elukwatini and Mayflower in Mpumalanga Province, whereby ICT Training/Development Centres will be established. At each centre two facilitators will assist the Communities to establish these Centres as self-reliant Community Centres. Initially, computer literacy courses offered to members of the communities will be the main activity of the Centres, that will gradually expand their activities to become economic development hubs of the Communities. 

UniSchool is equiping each Centre with 10 computers and in some cases, with the necessary furniture. The supply of the infrastructure got under way on 25 February 2003 with the delivery of computers to the three Centres. The first compter literacy course will start at each of the Centres on 8 March 2003.

 

Outline