Giving unemployed women the edge
SKILLS development provider, In Touch Community Development and Project Managers, continues to be a beacon of light for people in marginalised communities, helping to stem the tide of unemployment through skill development programmes.
The provider, which was established in 1994 by a group of forward-thinking black professionals with real-world expertise in building and civil construction, has stepped out to support the country, giving young women among its 1 500 programme participants top priority.
The objective is to support government initiatives aimed at raising everyone’s standard of living and giving hope to the destitute.
Managing director of In Touch Community Development and Project
Managers, Kganya Ramoshaba-Bbenkele, explained the purpose of their training centre is to provide women with free training programmes and skills so they can compete in the job market.
When asked if there was a particular reason why it primarily targets women, she said that women in South Africa are mostly disadvantaged.
“Women are at the bottom of the hierarchy in most things compared to their male counterparts. Women are not facing only socio-economic issues in their daily lives; they are also overlooked and underpaid in the workplace. The inequality and lack of opportunities given to women are unreal, and we are trying to fight that.”
She also talked about finding venues for practicals while outlining some of the difficulties faced along the route.
“Places for practicals can be hard to secure sometimes due to lack of availability … It becomes a challenge, but we have endured over the years, hence, we are still standing today because our interests lie in eradicating poverty …” said Ramoshaba-Bbenkele.