Job Skills & Entrepreneurship Programme
Providing young people with the support needed to ensure productive vocation paths, not just certificates.
We are located in one of the country’s poorest and most remote regions with a surfeit of young people who—through no fault of their own—have limited access to education, capital or other necessary inputs for creating a productive future. The Bulungula Job Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme (JSEP) supports youth who wish to develop their skillsets and gain meaningful work experience. We believe that everyone deserves a chance and that we can find productive paths for all our youth.
Overview
The JSEP at Bulungula College provides training, internships and productive vocations for our learners. We have developed a model through which accredited courses are brought to the Bulungula College through remote teaching.
We have equipped our campus with a computer lab, televisions and connectivity, through which the trainer can be streamed into the classroom and the course delivered within the standards of the relevant course SETA. Bulungula College employs a programme manager to be in the classroom and to guide learners though the learning materials. The course trainer/facilitator does not need to be physically present. This allows for access to learning and teaching of accredited courses in the most remote locations.
Learners are simultaneously placed in a year-long internship, hosted by the appropriate Bulungula Incubator programme in agriculture, Early Childhood Development (ECD), Maths and English tutoring at government schools (iiTablet Tshomiz project), community health work (ooNomakhaya), office administration, and artisanal skills including electrical work, welding, carpentry & plumbing.
JSEP Courses Offered
The JSEP includes accredited courses and skills development that fit within the skill needs of our surrounding areas and the Bulungula Incubator projects and programmes. The model of the JSEP is to develop partnerships that can bring access to relevant accredited courses to remote communities. To this end, we have developed partnerships with Buhle Farmers Academy, Tsiba Ignition Academy and Africa Skills Village for learnerships and apprenticeships.
- Crop Production (Buhle Farmers Academy)
- Early Childhood Development (Africa Skills Village/Tsiba Ignition Academy)
- Artisanal Skills (Africa Skills Village)
- Learners License (Free Online Apps with support from Bulungula College)
- Drivers License (Bulungula College)
- Digital Literacy Course (Tsiba Ignition Academy)
- New Venture Creation (Tsiba Ignition Academy)
- Soft Skills (various providers)
- Tourism, Guiding, Guest Experiences, Tourist Products, Home Stay Businesses (Africa Skills Village/Tsiba Accreditation)
- Business Administration (Tsiba Ignition Academy)
We have found that the biggest obstacle to success for our young people is self-belief and the confidence they, their families and their community have in their ability to achieve their goals. One cannot leap from this situation into one where a thriving and self-sustaining business can be created.
Our programme structure allows incremental achievements to build self-confidence and a real sense of accomplishment. As a final step, graduates from the programme are connected to work opportunities to kickstart their careers. We utilise our broader networks as a well-connected organisation to place our learners in work, fulfilling our ultimate goal of providing youth with careers, not just certificates.
Are you interested in hiring one of our graduates? Check out their profiles.