Opportunity Issue 107
Opportunity magazine is a niche business-to-business publication that explores various investment opportunities within Southern Africa’s economic sectors. The publication is endorsed by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI).
Opportunity magazine is a niche business-to-business publication that explores various investment opportunities within Southern Africa’s economic sectors. The publication is endorsed by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI).
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ORBIT TVET COLLEGE<br />
Leading the way<br />
in AI education<br />
The Principal of ORBIT TVET College, Dika Mokoena, is<br />
proud of his students’ achievements in an international<br />
AI competition and the college’s powerhouse soccer<br />
team! Plans for a hotel school will bolster a college<br />
already strong in electrical and diesel mechanical trades.<br />
Is this a period of change for TVET colleges?<br />
The changes which are taking place within the colleges are spearheaded by<br />
the Minister of Higher Education and Training. He wants these colleges to<br />
become colleges which respond to the real situation that an individual South<br />
African is going through economically. That is why he has introduced the<br />
Centres of Specialisation. These centres are financed by the Ministry under his<br />
leadership. They are a beautiful game-changer where a learner who would<br />
have gone through the entire programme would have an opportunity to be<br />
employed. If not employment, then the learner has enough skills to start his<br />
or her own business. As a college we have responded very well to the call of<br />
Centres of Specialisation in the electrical trade and the most difficult trade<br />
of diesel mechanics. Drivers that own diesel-engine cars will tell you how<br />
difficult it is to find a diesel mechanic. We have done well in the certification<br />
of these two trades.<br />
Where are these offered?<br />
The electrical trade is offered at the Brits site and the diesel specialisation<br />
is attached to Mankwe Campus.<br />
What else is offered at Mankwe?<br />
We are just adjacent to Sun City so there is also a tourism focus.<br />
Because of the presence of Sun City and other holiday resort facilities<br />
in the area we intend to build a hotel school which will have training<br />
facilities for students and a conference centre. This hotel school<br />
will not be in competition with all other centres in the area. It is a<br />
puzzle that fits like a glove onto a hand because we are a training<br />
institution and we will then want to partner with these<br />
facilities. These centres would like to have a skilled labour<br />
force so where would they get their skilled labour force? We<br />
are still looking for a partner for the project but what is key<br />
is that the hotel school at the college will be complementing<br />
what these other facilities are currently doing in the area. We<br />
are looking at food preparation, hospitality services, client<br />
services and human relations, just to name a few areas we<br />
are looking to take care of, plus many more.<br />
ORBIT TVET College’s successful AI students, pictured with the<br />
Principal, Mr Dika Mokoena, right.<br />
26 | www.opportunityonline.co.za
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