Belgravia High launches career club
Belgravia High School launched its Career Club on Wednesday May 28. Here Douglas Petersen from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), left, front, speaks to pupils Owami Mhlubulwana, Dimakatso Tsoenyana and Phumelele Ngqinambi, all Grade 11. With them is Belgravia High School principal, Brenda Wilson, left, back.
Image: Hazel Allies-Husselman
Belgravia High School celebrated the launch of its Career Club – a Western Cape Education Department (WCED) initiative – on Wednesday May 28.
The career clubs aim to introduce high school pupils to the world of work and will be implemented at more than 300 high schools in the province.
Higher learning institutions and organisations, such as the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), College of Cape Town, University of the Western Cape (UWC), Rosebank College, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Stem Lab, paramedics from Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Melomed and ER24, the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue, False Bay College, Madina Institute and Cad4All career and design college were among those with exhibitions at the launch.
According to Dr Ismail Teladia, the WCED’s senior curriculum planner for Life Orientation, will be pupil-driven, with the help and guidance of their Life Orientation teachers.
“Our teachers don’t know everything the various institutions have to offer. Many parents are not well informed either. With this initiative, learners empower learners. They can get professionals out to address the learners, and some can even ask their parents in their different career fields to address the club. What we have found is that artisans, like bricklayers, electricians and plumbers, are among our scarce skills. Further Education and Training (FET) colleges offer these courses. I was recently approached for an opportunity for 20 young people to undergo a one-year training programme in Germany. So globally there is a need for artisans, but somehow this was not on our learners’ radar,” Dr Teladia said.
Grade 11 pupil, Sharon-Rose Mbiye, was interested in the requirements needed to join the NSRI.
“I like serving people. I love to help people with whatever problem they might have, and working for an organisation like the NSRI is exactly what I would like to do,” she said.
From left are, teachers Julie-Anne McKenzie, Larissa Manuel, Shireen Ryklief, Dr Ismail Teladia, senior curriculum advisor at the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), Belgravia High principal, Brenda Wilson and teacher Alicia Horlin.
Image: Hazel Allies-Husselman
Teacher Shireen Ryklief welcomed the initiative, saying they needed to connect their pupils to a bigger audience for career opportunities.
“As teachers we don’t always have the time, and I think this is a fantastic initiative. I am very happy that the department had this vision, because if our learners have a career focus, I believe they will be more driven to obtain better results and work towards the requirements needed for their career choice. We launched the Career Club with more than 400 learners from Grade 9 and Grade 11. Our Grade 9s must select their subject choices for next year, and our Grade 11s will do job shadowing next term, hence, the focus was on those two Grades. The Career Club will be run by the learners themselves. This is a collaborative effort between the teachers in the Life Orientation department at school and the Representative Council of Learners (RCL). We are all optimistic about the club, because it will help our learners find their space in society,” Ms Ryklief said.