EC department embarks on big recruitment drive
THE Eastern Cape department of correctional services (DCS) is recruiting thousands of unemployed matriculants to undergo training to become rehabilitators of offenders.
A total of 284 young people will be selected.
Regional communications manager Vuyolwethu Gadu said learners would come out of the programme with a NQF 4 level certificate in correctional services.
“This is an opportunity for young people to acquire skills, knowledge and workplace experience in the field of corrections and earn a little bit of money in the process.
“The learners will be trained in a [Technical and Vocational Education and Training college] and will receive a recognised qualification,” said Gadu.
The rehabilitators will be responsible for counselling offenders and focusing on human development, which includes “correction”, teaching them how to manage conflict and identifying areas of personal development such as education.
The duration of the learnership is 12 months and each learner will receive R3 500.
DCS last year officially committed to a policy that aims to make prisons more humane places with a view to rehabilitating offenders and reinserting them into society.
“The learnership is intended to contribute towards addressing the skills shortage,” said Gadu.
The learners will be recruited from six areas that include Amathole, East London, Kirkwood, Mthatha, Sada and St Albans.
Unemployment graduates who have completed other qualifications are also encouraged to apply but they should be between the ages 23 and 35 years.
The learner will upon successful completion of enrolment process to an FET, sign a legally binding contract with DCS.
“The correctional services does not just offer boarding and catering, it offers a wide range of services.
“We are transforming historically repressive prisons to human rights-based centres for offender rehabilitation,” said Gadu.
Learners will undergo personal suitability checks related to their backgrounds, citizenship, qualifications and criminal records.
The learners must be without criminal records and particulars of pending or decided criminal cases related to the applicant must be provided to the department.