Odyssey June 2018

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The Bigger Picture PLATINUM INCUBATOR GETS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACE LIFT AT RE-LAUNCH By Tshegofatso Rapoo doing that, except to work with ins tu ons of learning, such as ORBIT TVET College, where we have young people who are able to lead in the processes of diversifying further what pla num can be used for.”, he concluded. The incubator makeover includes fully branded & improved protocols and level one security, which according to Ms Swart, symbolises a new beginning for the technological innova on that they would like to see take place at the incubator and in SA. Pictured from le to right: Ms Kgaogelo Modise (SEDA Technology Programme: Incuba on Unit), Hon. Cassel Mathale (Deputy Minister of Small Business & Development), Ms Sibongile Shongwe (CEO of Pla num Incubator), Ms Wilma Swarts (Chairperson of Pla num Incubator), Mr Davis Sadike (Manager SEZ: North West Province), Mr Ofentse Kombe (MMC : Rustenburg Municipality), Ms Sylvia Leabile (Chairperson of Phenominal African Woman SA), Ms Miranda Motlogeloa (Board Member: Pla num Incubator) and Ms Maryna Marais (Former Principal of ORBIT TVET College) a er the unveiling of the plague at the re-launch of the SEDA Pla num Incubator er enjoying more than a decade of being the Aonly small business start-up hub in the world devoted to encouraging budding entrepreneurs to develop world class products and applica ons using Pla num Group Metals (PGMs), the SEDA Pla num Incubator situated at ORBIT TVET College, Rustenburg Campus was re-launched on 26 April 2018. Established in 2006, in partnership with the North West Government and the private sector, the Incubator has for the last 10 years, helped aspiring goldsmiths to build careers in the design and manufacturing of jewellery using pla num, gold, silver, diamond and semi-precious stones from South Africa. It also offers a graduate training programme where young aspirant jewellers can come and learn and perfect their skill, whilst also ge ng hands-on experience in working with those precious minerals, metals and stones. Deputy Minister of Small Business & Development, Honourable Cassel Mathale delivered a key note address, in which he highlighted the role of government in developing effec ve Pla num Beneficia on Ini a ves in South Africa. Mr Mathale said that government ini ated the Business Incuba on Programme, in order to promote economic development and growth within specific communi es or regions. “Even though South Africa is endowed with mineral resources, there has been very li le beneficia on taking place within the country. It is for this reason that SEDA and the different industry partners, established the Pla num Incubator; to drive the beneficia on of pla num group metals and develop world class jewellery and enterprises for SA”, Mr Mathale said. He further added that government will con nue to make a significant contribu on in ensuring that it creates a market for these products. “Since we have over 80% of the world's pla num, it is our responsibility as the source country, to make sure that we develop the new state of pla num beyond what is known to be.” And there is no be er way of An elated Ms Sibongile Shongwe, CEO of the Pla num Incubator, gave a background of the incubator, while reflec ng on the journey from as far back as 2006, when the Pla num Incubator came into being. “Today is all about spreading love for Pla num. As the incubator, we look forward to hos ng chemical engineers, metallurgists and some of those mavericks that are serial entrepreneurs, who can make any product work and can come up with ideas that are going to be ground-shedding so that our pla num makes a mark in the global village,” Ms Shongwe said. Ms Shongwe's sen ments were echoed by Chairperson of the Pla num Incubator, Ms Wilma Swarts, who said they are looking forward to entering into a new era of incuba on. “We believe that in giving pla num a voice in South Africa, and by ac vely promo ng and encouraging young inventors, chemists and engineers, scien sts, designers, and entrepreneurs to use PGMs in new and exci ng ways, this will ul mately benefit all stakeholders. Not only will we reclaim PGMs as a South African mineral of strategic importance, but we will also expand the economic value for the ci zens of our country”. Ms Swarts said. Former Principal of the College, Ms Maryna Marais, rendered a message of support, highligh ng how the Incubator has benefi ed and support SMMEs, especially the College students. “Being a public TVET College, our sole purpose is to train young people so that they can have the necessary skills to enter the labour market or self-employment that would benefit the country. We have no doubt that this incubator will become a flagship in South Africa, and affirm our pledge that ORBIT College will provide con nued support to the Pla num Incubator team and all the poten al and young entrepreneurs,” Ms Marais said. The launch was concluded with the unveiling of the plaque by the Deputy Minister, and a fashion show, exhibi ng jewellery pieces by the emerging entrepreneurs. To date, the Incubator has mentored and assisted 135 talented young people from previously disadvantaged backgrounds to realise their dreams of becoming jewellery designers and manufacturers by facilita ng access to materials, equipment and machinery and also providing a support framework for these budding entrepreneurs. Incubatees, Mr Carlos Goncalves of Seliana Jewels (le ) and Ms Lydia Kalosane, owner of Botle Jewellery Design (right) exhibi ng their jewellery during the re-launch of the Pla num Incubator THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS & POSTAL SERVICES CELEBRATES 'INTERNATIONAL GIRLS IN ICT DAY' AT ORBIT COLLEGE, MANKWE CAMPUS By Tshegofatso Rapoo Deputy Minister of Telecommunica ons and Postal Services, Hon. Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams encouraged approximately 150 girls and young women to consider taking up careers in the growing field of Informa on and Communica on Technologies (ICTs) The Deputy Minister of Telecommunica ons & Postal Services, Hon. Stella Ndabeni Abrahams, celebrated the 'Interna onal Girls in ICT Day' with young girls and women in Grades 10-12 from neighbouring secondary schools in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality, at an event held at Mankwe Campus on 3 May 2018. The celebra on was aimed at making girls and young women aware of the various opportuni es that are available and offered by the Informa on and Communica on Technologies (ICTs). Addressing approximately 150 young females, the Deputy Minister emphasised the value of inves ng in techno-girls for the entrepreneurial and economic inclusion agenda. She further commi ed to training at least twenty internet providers from the Moses Kotane area in domain name reselling. Even though the ICT industry is transforming and becoming more welcoming to women, the lack of young women a racted to ICT 2 studies is s ll reflected in ICT companies and government agencies around the world. The ICT Sector remains male dominated, especially at senior levels. Various females and stakeholders making a mark in the ICT Sector, were invited to share their personal journeys with the learners on how they got to where they are today in the sector. ORBIT College Deputy Principal: Academic Programmes and Student Support Services, Mr Tumisang Mosito ar culated the point that Colleges can only deliver on their empowerment mandate if supported in terms of infrastructure, equipment and machinery, including knowledge, while adding that this can only be acquired through partnerships. “As a public ins tu on, we need partnerships in order for us to do jus ce to this mandate. We salute the Telecommunica ons and Postal Services Ministry for allowing us to be their partner of choice. As an ins tu on, we see this approach as a commitment to improve the living and learning condi ons in the historically disadvantaged situa on”, Mr Mosito said. The event was concluded with the Deputy Minister handing over cer ficates to 25 young women who completed ICT training conducted by the Department in collabora on with INTEL SA in 2015. Interna onal Girls in ICT Day is an annual ini a ve supported by the Interna onal Telecommunica ons Union (ITU) Member States to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider studies and careers in the ICT Sector. The venue was packed to capacity with girls and young women from the College, neighbouring high schools and communi es, interested to find out more about the growing opportuni es available for females in the ICT Sector Mr Lulu Khesa of 'Lulu Khesa Crea ons' displaying some of his jewellery pieces at the re-launch. Mr Khesa completed his studies in Jewellery Manufacturing at ORBIT College earlier this year, and is currently an incubatee of the SEDA Pla num Incubator Ms Zera Kgomo (right), Personal Assistant to the Mankwe Campus Manager was one the 25 young women who completed the ICT training conducted by the Department of Telecommunica ons & Postal Services in collabora on with INTEL SA in 2015, and was awarded, alongside nine others, a cer ficate of comple on by the DM (le ) Hon. Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams
The Bigger Picture LAUNCH OF CENTRE OF SPECIALISATION AT MANKWE CAMPUS PROMOTES ARTISAN DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS By Tshegofatso Rapoo wo respec ve Centres of Specialisa on (CoS) in Diesel Trade and TElectric Trade, were launched at ORBIT College, Mankwe Campus on 20 February 2018 in partnership with the Department of Higher Educa on and Training (DHET) and various business and industries focusing in Ar san Development. The Centre will provide selected students in the Diesel Trade industry an opportunity to take part in an appren ceship, which will see them engage in theore cal work and gain prac cal training as well as authen c work experience at the guidance of an employer. Key stakeholders from DHET, various SETAs, including the Quality Council Trade Organisa on (QCTO), the Retail Motor Industry Organisa on, Steel and Engineering Industries of South Africa (SEIFSA), Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Educa on & Training Authority (MerSETA) and poten al industry partners were all in a endance. The President of the Retail Motor Industry (RTI) Organisa on, Ms J Esterhuizen outlined the important role that ar sans play in promo ng growth and development in the country. “The two industry sectors present here today, need ar sans, as well as the Various poten al partners in the Diesel and Electric Trade honoured the invita on of the College to a end the launch and explore a possible working partnership with the Centres of Specialisa on at Mankwe and Brits Campuses MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION & TRAINING, WANTS TO REPOSITION TVET COLLEGES AS INSTITUTIONS OF FIRST CHOICE echnical and Voca onal Educa on and Training (TVET) Colleges Twill become the ins tu ons of choice for millions of young people and lay the founda on of educa on in South Africa, says Higher Educa on and Training Minister Naledi Pandor. Increasingly, more youth are entering technical and voca onal colleges as government refocuses its efforts on placing TVET Colleges at the centre of the Post School Educa on and Training (PSET) Sector. In 2009, there was one TVET College enrolment for every four university enrolments. Currently, there is one TVET College student for every two university students enrolled. However, while this ra o has improved, there is s ll much work to be done to promote the a rac veness of TVET Colleges for youth and remedy the skills shortages South Africa currently faces. “We have too many youth choosing to go to university and not enough coming into the technical and voca onal educa on sector,” Pandor comments. “We have in this country, as [have] many other countries around the world, placed an overemphasis on university educa on,” she says, highligh ng that this has not only overloaded men oned Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs). In the engineering space, ar sans install, maintain and repair equipment, which is fundamental to the produc on process. In the communi es, they can be self-employed, thereby servicing the basic maintenance needs of ordinary households. The infrastructure projects will therefore assist with work opportuni es”, Ms Esterhuizen said. She also added that the CoS launched at ORBIT College is ideally placed and iden fied as a partner of choice in the development of these required ar sans. Mr P Che y, Project Manager at the Steel and Engineering Industries of South Africa (SEIFSA) took a endees through the main objec ves of the Centres of Specialisa on Project, and also urged more industry partners to get involved with these Centres at TVET Colleges. Through this programme and the support of the par cipa ng industry representa ves, stakeholders and SETAs the DHET is looking to empower TVET Colleges to develop a standard of skills delivery in order to become the “providers of choice” in Occupa onal Programmes for the Sector. The Centres of Specialisa on Na onal Programme is aimed at producing: • A skilled and capable workforce to support inclusive economic growth • Increased availability of intermediate-level technical skills • Increased delivery of qualified ar sans in 13 priority skills • Improved capacity of public TVET Colleges to provide training in skills that are in demand by industry The programme will ensure a closer working rela onship with industry, training centres and the Post School and Training (PSET) Sector, while also benefi ng students and staff in the following ways: • The curriculum offered will consist of occupa onal qualifica ons designed by industry, for industry and registered with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupa ons (QCTO) Minister of Higher Educa on & Training, Hon. Naledi Pandor. Ms Pandor, who was appointed on 1 March 2018, is not new to the por olio; as she served as Minister of Educa on under former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe the university system, but also resulted in a struggle to find the relevant midlevel skills needed to drive the economy. Pandor further added that there is a need to start taking TVET Colleges “more seriously” and to start recognising their significance in contribu ng to the development of skills required by the economy. “We want to make TVET Colleges first- choice ins tu ons. This is where the future lies. This is where the skills we need are [going to be developed],” Pandor says. This is par cularly relevant in an era where Africa is launching a massive infrastructure development drive and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is driving the implementa on of an industrialisa on strategy. South Africa needs more ar sans, technicians and technologists, which only TVET Colleges can provide, Pandor points out, while also no ng that, in line with this, government has set a target to train 30 000 ar sans a year by 2030. In 2017, some 21 100 ar sans graduated, with government well on track to realising this ambi on. “We are going to pursue these objec ves in partnership with industry in South Africa,” she adds, ci ng plans to modernise the colleges, improve the quality of the teaching and learning processes and ensure they contribute to employment crea on and enterprise development in South Africa. “Much of our thinking and work at the moment is focused on ensuring that our curricula at colleges match and reflect the reali es of the working world,” she says, encouraging more companies to get involved in hos ng appren ces and preparing students for what exactly will be required in industry. Pandor further encourages industry partners to “take ownership” of the qualifica ons and curriculum design, as well as the provision of prac cal work experience, to train and deliver skilled people ready for employment. Source: h p://www.engineeringnews.co.za/ar cle/tvets-to-be-at-the-forefront-of-south-africashigher-educa on-2018-06-15/rep_id:4136 Pictured from le to right:) Mr C Basson (Senior Manager ETQA and Partnerships, MerSETA), Ms T Mokotedi (Execu ve Manager, EWSETA), Mr P Che y (Project Manager, SEIFA), Ms M Marais (Former Principal, ORBIT College), Ms J Esterhuizen (President, Retail Motor Industry) and Mr H Geldenhuys (Regional Manager, MerSETA) • The delivery of programmes will be a dual system appren ceship that will see the appren ce being exposed to both the workplace for the prac cal component of the qualifica on, and the College for the theory component • TVET College staff in these respec ve fields will be adequately exposed and be given access to the latest technology in the industry, as per the new curriculum • The workshops at the iden fied CoS will be refurbished and adequately equipped to deliver on the prac cal skills development, as required by the curriculum Former Principal of the College, Ms M Marais, thanked the DHET and the various partnering SETAs for iden fying ORBIT College as an ideal TVET College to serve as a training centre. Ms Marais added that, with the support of employers, the programme would contribute immensely to the skills level of the country as a whole. Another Centre of Specialisa on, focusing on Electrical Trade has been established at Brits Campus. Students taking part in both the Diesel Trade appren ceship at Mankwe Campus and Electric Trade appren ceship at Brits Campus, will be the first recruits of ORBIT College for the new QCTO qualifica on in 2019. NSFAS STUDENTS CAN NOW UPDATE CONTACT DETAILS ONLINE a onal Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Nfunded students, who wish to update or change their contact details, can now do it online. Students, who wish to update or change their contact details, can do it online through the Mynsfas portal on the scheme's website. NSFAS spokesperson Kagisho Mamabolo said the move comes a er NSFAS received concerns from students, who were unable to sign their bursary agreements as a result of their details not being updated on the system, either due to lost handsets or changed numbers. This challenge had a great impact on the signing of the NSFAS Bursary Agreement process. Mamabolo said this ini a ve forms part of the l o n g - t e r m s o l u o n s t o m i g a t e t h e challenge.“NSFAS believes that this new development is a milestone for the organisa on, as it cements our strategy of being student-centred and u lising modern technology to simplify the lives of students,” said Mamabolo. Students who are unable to change their details online can use the manual process by emailing a cer fied copy of their green barcoded ID or smart card, and a completed affidavit specifying that they have changed their cell phone number; with the new and old number listed to uds@nsfas.org.za. Source: www.nsfas.co.za IN MEMORIAM The late Mr Firoz Patel Deputy Director-General for TVET Branch (DHET) ORBIT College conveys its sincere condolences to the Patel family and the Department of Higher Educa on and Training (DHET) on the passing away of Mr Firoz Yusuf Patel, Deputy Director-General for TVET Branch, on 16 March 2018. Mr Patel served the Department with absolute dis nc on and dedica on for many years both as an educator and an administrator. He contributed immensely to the transforma on of the educa on system in the country. His many contribu ons to democra sing the educa on system and working selflessly for the provision of access to educa on for the poor and marginalised will never be forgo en. May his soul con nue to rest in peace. 3
Page 1: “RECORDING THE ORBIT JOURNEY” I
Page 5 and 6: EN ROUTE VIA Central Office COLLEGE
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Page 9 and 10: EN ROUTE VIA In The Fast Lane MORE
Page 11 and 12: Community Connexions ZOOMING INTO Y

Odyssey June 2018

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