Education and training

Birthday gift boosts university access.

With Sol Plaatje University celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023, the chances of indigenous young people being able to study on its campus have been boosted by large donations from two Anglo American subsidiaries.

Kumba Iron Ore and De Beers Group are among the biggest mining companies active in the Northern Cape. Their donations of R20-million and R5-million towards the university’s Lesedi La Afrika Fund will support scholarships and social impact projects. The fund has set a target of R100-million over the next three years.

Qondakele Sompondo, Director for Institutional Advancement at SPU, said the funding would make a significant impact on the lives of the youth of the Northern Cape.

“The plight of the youth in indigenous communities (Nama, San, Khoi and Griqua) and in the Northern Cape is something that needs our urgent attention. Through the fund, we want to do something bigger than normal. We will award scholarships to augment what NSFAS is doing by funding the poorest of the poor,” he said.

Speaking at a gala dinner hosted by SPU as part of its 10-year celebrations, Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Andrew Crouch (pictured) reflected on the progress the university has made.

“Sol Plaatje University started humble and built up to where it is today because of people wanting to bring change in the province and ultimately the country through the power of teaching and learning and producing graduates,” he said.

SPU has seen major growth in its enrolment figures and staff recruitment in recent years, with 60% of its academic staff having PhDs. As part of its sustainable growth, the institution is committed to community engagement and scholarly activity. “The University should be embedded in the community and society and contribute towards producing knowledgeable graduates who plough back to their communities,” said Prof Crouch.

For the 2023 academic year a total of 28 454 applications (undergraduate and postgraduate) were received by SPU. This is an increase of just under 9 000 against the applications received for 2022.

Another milestone was reached in the university’s young history when the Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre (RVSC) celebrated its first birthday, on 9 September 2022. The RVSC is not only SPU’s first research centre, it is also an important national resource, tasked with vital challenges that include understanding a changing planet, reducing the human footprint, adapting the way we live and innovating for sustainability.

SECTOR INSIGHT

With the Northern Cape being one of the most waterscarce territories in a waterscarce country, the unit’s location is highly relevant. RVSC is a programme of the Department of Science and Innovation under the Global Change Research Plan for South Africa – funded through the National Research Foundation’s Global Change programme.

In 2022, a total of 11 897 students enrolled to study at the province’s multi-campus Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.

The Northern Cape Urban TVET College comprises three campuses in Kimberley: City Campus, Moremogolo Campus and Phatsimang Campus where teacher training is done. At City Campus, students have access to three departments: business studies, engineering studies and a business unit that organises short courses in partnership with various public and private partners.

The Northern Cape Rural TVET College has campuses at Kathu, Upington, De Aar, Kuruman and Namaqualand.

The Namaqualand Rural TVET College has been accredited as a Trade Test Centre for engineering trades. This will provide an opportunity for apprentices to be certified as artisans.

These colleges offer students courses in finance, economics and accounting; engineering; IT and computer science; management; hospitality; marketing; and tourism. NCR TVET College has a variety of part-time programmes and short skills programmes delivered in the form of learnerships, internships or apprenticeships. This enables adults and employed people to study after hours or to do enrichment courses.

Skills

In 2022, collaborative efforts across the province lead to a total of 11 852 unemployed youth benefitting from skills development programmes such as internships, learnerships, apprenticeship, artisanship, work-integrated learning and skills programmes (State of Province Address, March 2023).

The Provincial Government of the Northern Cape runs several skills programmes, including the Artisan Construction Programme, a three-year incubation programme aimed at young people, the Phakamile Mabija Apprenticeship (artisan incubation programme) and the S’hamba Sonke Contractor Development Programme.

In terms of the Expanded Publics Works Programme, 65 570

Online Resources

National Department of Science and Innovation: dsi.gov.za

Northern Cape Department of Education: www.ncdoe.ncpg.gov.za

Sol Plaatje University: www.spu.ac.za

Square Kilometre Array: www.ska.ac.za work opportunities were created in 2022 and in 2023 a total of 7 000 Education Assistants and General School Assistants will be appointed in Phase IV of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. This began as a project related to coping with the stresses of the Covid-19 pandemic but has been retained to boost employment and support schools.

In addition, agricultural graduates are placed in commercial enterprises for two years through the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP).

The University of the Free State is running the ETDP SETA New Venture Creation Skills Programme and another programme, the UIF Skills Programme, offers training in civil construction, plant production, assistant-chef, animal production and arc-welding.

Artisan training has benefitted from the presence of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project in Carnarvon. The new technical training centre has trained students as electricians, fitters and turners, in instrumentation, diesel mechanics, in IT and boiler-making, as well as in carpentry, plumbing, bricklaying and welding. With support from SKA, Carnarvon High School is the only school in the area offering maths and science. ■

NORTHERN CAPE’S PATH TO PROGRESS THROUGH HIGHINTELLECTUAL PROGRAMMES TODAY AND TOMORROW

Sol Plaatje University is the first and only university in the Northern Cape.

As the region’s sole public Higher Education Institution, Sol Plaatje University (SPU) is committed to providing quality education and professional development opportunities that cater to the unique needs, competence, and characteristics of its community.

Positioning itself as a niche university, SPU offers academic programmes of high intellectual nature in fields that align with the South African thrust to develop a nation that is proud of its heritage and roots. To this end, the university has honed its focus on areas such as teacher education, ICT and data science, heritage studies, paleo-sciences, and creative writing in African languages.

SPU is driven by its vision to be critically engaged in learning, research, and development while enhancing democratic practice and social justice in society. In pursuit of this vision,

SPU seeks to produce outstanding, internationally accredited graduates who are innovative, analytical, and articulate. These graduates are expected to harbour a life-long love of learning that will contribute to the advancement of international scholarship, the Northern Cape, and Southern Africa as a whole.

With consistent growth in student numbers and an expanding range of programmes, SPU has become a vital mechanism for uplifting the Northern Cape region and its residents. By offering academic programmes that meet the diverse needs of the local community, SPU fosters a sense of pride in the region’s heritage and roots while empowering students to become agents of change in their communities and beyond.