Training opportunities for youth mooted

The director of iCollege, Professor Bernie van Zijl, proposes to form a joint venture with the Mossel Bay Municipality to establish opportunities for free education for local youth.

Both Van Zijl and Paul van Rooyen said in an informal presentation to council on Wednesday that the aim of the sponsored education was to create opportunities for young people aged 18 to 27 in face-to-face training conditions according to SETA requirements.

With experience in setting up training facilities in rural and even tribal communities, iCollege works with several sponsors to make grants available to qualifying students. The college is also involved in training 500 000 students in Lagos.

Mossel Bay executive mayor, Alderman Harry Levendal, said he was excited about the proposed project and invited iCollege to do a proper presentation at a later stage so that indepth questions could be addressed.

"I have the responsibility to create opportunities for the youth of the greater Mossel Bay area. I am interested to hear more. Our young people should never be able to say that we are not doing everything in our power to create a better life for them," Alderman Levendal said. The ANC chief whip, councillor Jovan Bruiners, said: "Education is power, let's go for it."

Professor Bernie van Zijl, a director of iCollege, and Paul van Rooyen met the executive mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderman Harry Levendal, and other councillors to discuss setting up a training facility in Mossel Bay.