Skills boost for unemployed youth
AFTER completing her matric last year, 19-year-old Shakeelah Israel from Bonteheuwel thought she would “never find her way” again. But the former Bonteheuwel High School pupil has renewed hope.
She and more than 100 unemployed young people from disadvantaged communities have been placed at various schools for training in various fields, as part of the Ashley Kriel Skills Development Centre’s programme.
The group of 200 students from Bonteheuwel, Langa, Heideveld, Bishop Lavis and surrounding areas will receive workplace training in Early Childhood Development, electrical engineering, business skills and call centre training from the College of Cape Town, according to the organisation’s executive officer Dr Lionel Scott-Muller.
The centre, established last year in honour of the former Umkhonto we Sizwe operative, said yesterday the courses would further enable students from “historically marginalised” communities to access opportunities of learnership, internships and bursaries.
It said the group had been for orientation earlier this week. They will also receive a stipend from the Western Cape government school support programme.
Israel said they were grateful for Kriel’s contribution during apartheid. Kriel, from Bonteheuwel was an anti-apartheid activist murdered at the age of 20 by security police on July 9, 1987. “We feel grateful for the people who have started this campaign and it’s really going to make a difference to our lives. It’s a nice experience and I am looking forward to the future.
“I am inspired by the values of what Ashley Kriel stood for. It took a lot of courage, it took a lot of dignity for him to do what he did. He has given us encouragement to stand up for ourselves.”
Scott-Muller said the centre has been considered as one of the first pilot programme for establishment of a community college structure in South Africa. “Through this programme the contribution and legacy that Ashley Kriel has made as slain youth activist and South African freedom fighter is celebrated and honoured. His legacy lives on.”
The centre had an underlying philosophy of advocating for justice and human rights.
He said the centre’s vision resonated with the country’s National Development Plan 2030, which emphasised the critical role communities can play in being “agents of change”.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, the Department of Higher Education and Training along with Western Cape School Support Programme, and the College of Cape Town were among the centre’s partners. “The catalyst for the establishment of the organisation can be traced back to June 16, 2016, when the Action Commandant movie, directed by Nadine Cloete, celebrating the invaluable iconic role that Ashley played as freedom fighter.”