Pupils learn about real-life professions
Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality acting mayor and public safety portfolio head Zukiswa Ralane said the career expo held at Gali Thembani, Madeira Park, was initiated by the Special Programmes Unit (SPU) for grade 10, 11 and 12 pupils.
Ralane was standing in for mayor Thembeka Bunu, who was at Kamastone attending another municipal programme.
Ralani said: “The career expo was of importance, especially for grade 12 pupils who will soon be heading for tertiary education. It is also to equip pupils, to have an idea of what career to pursue based on their subjects.”
Government, financial and tertiary institutions were present to inform scholars on what courses to choose from to enter into the professional space, with departments such as the police and the national defence force being available.
Ralane indicated that the programme would continue annually.
SPU head Bukiwe Simina said as a department that worked with the youth, elder persons, disabled people and children, an initiative to hold the career exhibition programme for the younger generation was needed.
“We invited the health department, social development, economic development and tourism and environmental affairs, public works, the South African National Defence Force, the Railway Safety Regulator and the
South African Police Service to assist in making the programme a success.”
Tertiary institutions such as Boston,
Ikhala, Silulo Ulutho Technologies, Damelin and Nelson Mandela University also shared information at
stalls with pupils.
“We wanted to bring these institutions closer to Enoch Mgijima for pupils to receive proper guidance on careers they want to pursue or those they can choose from.”
She said schools from all 34 wards of Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality would take part in the career exhibition.
“Today we took in schools from Ezibeleni, Mlungisi and Sterkstroom. Tomorrow we will have schools from Whittlesea, schools from former Tsolwana and Hofmeyr.”
Chris Hani West department of education’s Masonwabe Prusent, who operates the education support services, said part of the work involved career guidance for grade 9s in schools.
The education support services deal with safety, career guidance, dance, music, sports and library programmes.
“We visit all schools to give career guidance to grade 9 pupils, to prepare them for the subject choice which they are required to make for grade10, which also influences the courses they will be able to enrol for. A pupil cannot want to be a doctor while taking accounting instead of maths and physics.”
He believed if career guidance was implemented in life skills lessons, pupils would not be confused at a later stage about what profession to follow.
According to him, engineering and technological courses were more in demand in the labour market.
“We encourage pupils to embrace taking pure maths as a subject instead of maths literacy which offers them better opportunities in the economy.”